Clean
by SatansButtPlug69
Summary: Those fingers are long and beautiful, peeking out from torn gloves. What would it feel like to touch them, for them to touch the heart?
1. Prologue

Wisconsin winter is cold enough to freeze the gates of Hell, but when you've lived there long enough, you grow used to it. Vlad Masters had lived there long enough to greet the cold with open arms and unzipped jackets. His manor wasn't any warmer compared to the cold, or as comforting. The one precaution he took as he laid out in the snow was wearing gloves. He hated the thought of his hands freezing and was constantly worried something would happen to them whilst outside. When he was a young boy, he would constantly wash his hands until they were red and bruised, even making them bleed. His hands must always be clean.

Vlad grew up alone with no siblings and a mother who wouldn't even glance his way unless it was to correct him. Wash your hands, must wash your hands. They are precious. He began to find solace in the smallest things, such as the head pats he would receive from his now long dead father. Satisfied with his short silver hair tousled, he could go to bed without any worries. After his father died, his mother begged him to learn the piano just as his father had. But before he could touch those keys, he would have to vigorously scrub his hands for ten minutes straight. He couldn't taint the precious keys his father played before him. Which is where is hand problem began.

The wind began to pick up as the sky darkened. Vlad picked himself up from off the ground and began to make the long walk back to his door. On his way there however, his eyes got caught on a shadow flitting by. He turned to catch a glimpse of what ran by, and his gaze landed on a small man shaking from the cold. His clothes were torn and hanging off of him in rags, his ribs easily seen through the shoddy shirt he wore. The boy's hair was tangled and dirty and his lips were tinted blue. But the thing he noticed more than anything was those hands. They shook badly and they gripped those pale arms tight, trying to draw any warmth to him. The fingers were perfectly shaped, long and slender. They poked out from gloves with holes where the fingers should be. He couldn't take his eyes off of them. Vlad glanced at his own gloves and decided then and there what to do.

He took them off, as well as his jacket, and threw them onto the ground near the freezing man. The man's eyes registered on the coat, and Vlad quickly hurried to his front door. He hoped the poor sod would accept his offering of momentary warmth.


	2. Naughty Obsessions Are Formin'

Dirt. Dirt under the fingernails was the first thing Vlad had noticed about the shivering man hanging around his estate. When those hands had gripped their own arms, that had been the beginning. He had come to the conclusion that the owner of those hands was homeless, and had chosen Vlad's vast land as his hideout. For the most part of the freezing month, Vlad had tried to ignore the scavenger with increasing difficulty. The poor thing was practically tinted blue with cold but refused to make any contact with him. Vlad would leave out articles of clothing as well as covered dishes of food, only to find them gone within minutes of them being lain outside. That poor little badger needed all he could get.

While leaving his homestead one particularly frosty morning, he had been grabbed by some unseen force. Vlad was being held like a child's favorite teddy bear. He looked down to see those grimy fingers, and his heart stopped. They were very unclean, they needed to be washed immediately. The dirt beneath those once pink fingernails peeked out. They were horrifying. Where had the gloves gone that Vlad had generously given to the young man? He needed those hands off of him immediately, he refused to have them sully his new suit. "Keep those hands off of me." The arms snaked away from his thick waist and didn't return.

Although Vlad felt bad for the little badger, watching him scramble about in the cold had become his preferred pastime. Those hands scrabbling for purchase on hidden rocks was amazing to him, those dirtied fingers gripping and clutching at empty air. They needed to be cleaned, but Vlad couldn't take his eyes off of them, they were practically calling to him. His usual Green Bay Packers obsession was pushed aside just to watch this man and his hands. What could they do? What can they play and what can they touch that other fingers, such as his own, could not? He couldn't control his body's reaction to the thought of it.

As time passed, it grew colder and colder. Much too cold for a homeless man to deal with. Well, what could you expect from a Wisconsin winter? Vlad was used to the cold and could sit in it for hours, but living in it was different. He stepped out into the blistering cold, and began to walk. Vlad had decided to invite the man into his home after many days of intense debate, and now was the time to go and get him. Cobalt eyes landed on footprints quickly being covered by snow, and he began to follow. The prints led to the dying green that was his labyrinth, since all castles seem to have them, and he let out an inaudible groan. He hated this place, and all things related to it. Despite this, he stepped foot into the unwelcoming arena.

The hedges had become harshly overgrown despite the fact that they were dying. What kind of fertilizer had his groundskeeper been using? Thick thorny vines had begun to crawl over and cover the once stone path, making it very difficult to walk without looking like a drunk bumbling fool. Vlad laughed to himself as he stepped over the thick roots, realizing that he himself looked like one of those fools. His mind suddenly took a turn as he faced the obstacles, thinking about those hands. How could this poor man with sickly beautiful fingers be in this cesspool of vines and thorns? He began to call for the nameless man, shadows flitting across his vision.

Hands had begun to haunt his dreams again, touching him in places where that grime should not touch. They had begun as nightmares, but had slowly softened to a sweet treat. Those hands played with his long silver hair and caressed his cheek. They were never hurtful, but they spread the dirt over his body. They turned Vlad's body black and it hurt, but those hands were so kind and gentle with him. He shook his head violently to clear those thoughts out, his skin crawling from the visions. He rubbed his hands, trying to think of other things. Suddenly, it was upon him. The tent of the man with disgusting, beautiful, hands. He slowly opened the flap.

There. There laid the things that have haunted his dreams for the past couple of weeks. Vlad was almost too nervous to actually enter the tent, but it had to be done. It took quite a bit of willpower to actually crawl into the tent, and even more to get close to the sleeping body. His whole body tensed when he realized that they were practically touching. Letting out a shaky breath, he let his eyes roam around the small tent. He found the plates that had been left out for him, and the pile of clothes that were collected. He smiled a tad, glad that he was able to help out at least a bit. But then his eyes landed on those hands. They were laid perfectly on his chest like an Egyptian prince, and Vlad couldn't stop staring.

He reached out and hesitantly picked up one hand, spacing the digits out in the dim light. They were slender and long, perfect for playing piano. Or other things... Vlad nearly jumped out of his skin when the man stirred. He paused and forced himself to become calm. He waited it out until the little badger settled again, and finally he was peaceful. Vlad let out a sigh of relief and continued to stare at the dirty fingers. He brought one close and without thinking, he kissed it. He blinked his wide blue eyes and held back a gag, he could feel the filth. Vlad set the hand down and slid his arms under him, lifting him up. He looked down at the man and realized he was only a boy.

His little badger had long and tangled black hair, the tips colored snow white. Dirt covered his face, but Vlad could clearly see the boyish features. The boy let out a soft groan and folded into Vlad's broad chest. He was ice cold, his breathing dangerously shallow. Vlad had to take him inside, at once.


	3. It's Criminal For Your Bath to be Big

When Vlad walked into the room that his little badger was staying in, he was greeted with a glass pitcher being thrown at his head. He narrowly avoided it and the glass crashed to the floor. His eyes narrowed and he let out a long sigh, "I haven't come to harm you little badger, in fact, I'm the only reason you're still alive." This was true, as Vlad had gotten one of his better doctors to examine and heal him. Other than experiencing a severe case of hypothermia, nothing else was wrong with him. It took about a week for him to actually wake up, which had Vlad starting to worry. Now though, he was fine, and aggressive. No frostbite had taken place luckily, which assured Vlad about the state of his fingers. "You know, you look much better when your skin isn't blue," he smirked and all that the boy offered was a fierce glare.

His eyes were two different colors, one an icy blue and the other a strange neon green. Vlad hadn't realize until that moment, and he became caught in that glare. Strange eyes, beautiful fingers. Why did he want to keep this boy close? What sudden urge had just crashed over him? He cleared his throat and returned the glare with ease. "Instead of being a rotten child, why don't you tell me your name?" The boy snapped back quickly, "I'm not a damn child! I'm 17, you know?!" He grumbled his name softly under his breath at a tone which Vlad could not hear. "Speak up little badger, you're mumbling," another quiet but almost decipherable mumble, "Now I know that you're being difficult." The boy grumbled angrily and spoke up, "Danny! My name is Danny, you fruit loop!"

Vlad was taken aback by the new nickname he had gained. _Fruit loop?_ Had he just been called a fruit loop? Now this wasn't the attitude he had been expecting from the owner of those hands, in fact, it would be much nicer if he just couldn't speak. He grit his teeth and Danny continued to talk, "You know, I thought you would be hell of a lot nicer for a rich guy, but you're just as much of a fucking jerk as I worried you would be!" Vlad could deal with it, at least he hoped he could. He hadn't done anything to antagonize young Daniel. He tuned out Danny's ranting and became lost in his own thought. This is what he gets for being kind and letting a stranger into his home. He could always kick him back out, but that would be rather cruel. "Hey are you even fucking listening to me? Hey old man!"

Slowly he turned his attention back to the nuisance and sighed, "Yes I heard you, Daniel. Now would you kindly shut your filthy mouth, and let me ask some questions?" Vlad began to fidget with his sleeve and he looked Danny up and down. "We tried to track you. Find out where you came from and who you are... but we couldn't find you. Would you mind explaining that to me Daniel?" Danny blinked and became completely silent, worrying at his pink bottom lip. Vlad waited for the response, joyfully accepting the sudden silence. How could he have guessed that his little badger would have the mouth of a sailor? He clearly had to fix that before any work could be done. "I... I don't know what happened actually. It just kind of... Dammit I can't even remember! There was an explosion or something and the next thing I knew, I was getting off a bus to Wisconsin," it was clear that Danny was struggling with remembering. Vlad didn't want to force him into anything that was too painful.

"Look, I don't need to know right away. Your name is enough for right now," Vlad offered softly. He did feel bad for the child, whatever it was that happened had clearly traumatized him. Danny was breathing harshly from whatever memories had just been conjured up, from trying to grasp the situation he was in currently. He needed to calm down. "Look, I don't even know you're name but thank you I guess... for uh.. letting me stay here and all that," Danny was looking down sheepishly and feeling bad for his sudden hostility to the older man. "Vlad." Danny looked up in confusion. "My name is Vlad, and you're welcome." When Danny looked at Vlad he could see the dark shadows beneath his cobalt eyes. How long had this fruit loop been up, worrying about him? While thinking, he took notice of how dirty he was.

Vlad looked down at him and knew what he was thinking. "You can bathe if you'd like. The shower is just next door," he looked at his grimy fingers and held down a bitter comment, "and when you're done with that, we can get you a haircut and fix those nasty hands of yours." Danny's gaze quickly turned back into a glare. "They aren't nasty! You try being homeless for one damn day!" He quickly stood up and got dizzy from the sudden movement. He had to sit back down to regain his bearings. Danny let out a shaky breath and pushed Vlad's hands away when he tried to help them back up. "I got it, I can do it myself." He finally made it to his feet and stumbled to the door. "Room next door, right?" Vlad nodded and Danny opened the door with some effort. He had really grown weak from the minimal use of his muscles. He had to shape up if he was going to be able to get out of here properly.

Danny looked around the long hallway and gaped. He had never been in any building as large as this, or as regal. How on Earth did Vlad end up here? It was amazing. After taking in his surroundings, he began to look for the door that led to the bathroom. He quickly found the room and opened the door. _Holy shit._ The room could have easily held 12 of his own bathrooms back at home. Now this, was insane. Danny locked the door behind him and began to undress. There was a bath tub the size of a normal bedroom, which was already full of steaming water that sparkled like diamonds, and a whole quarter of the room was dedicated to shelves of beauty and bathing products. Insane.

He saw that there had already been soaps and oils picked out for him, resting on the thick edge of the tub. Glancing around, Danny slipped into the water. The warmth quickly seeped into his bones and he let out a soft groan of appreciation. He slowly lowered the rest of his body in, the water coming up to his nose. The liquid didn't quite feel like water, it was much softer and inviting. How wonderful. He could fall asleep in this, and he debated whether or not he should actually close his eyes. That wasn't what he was there to do though, he was there to get clean. He slid the rest of his head under the water, letting it soak into his hair and cold skin. Danny wanted to stay in here forever, he hadn't had a proper bath for months. Coming back up, he reached for the shampoo. He was worried he would warrant being thrown out if he took too long.

He took a long time to scrub everything out of his hair, and even longer to condition it. It had grown quite a bit since his homelessness, the tangles hard to get out. Finally his hair was clean. It cascaded down his shoulders and ended in a point just above the middle of his back. Scrubbing his skin clean though, was an entirely different issue. It took quite a bit of effort to make his skin shine, having to use a rough rag to get majority of the caked dirt off. Danny was pink from being rubbed raw. As he leaned back to relax, he began to take in every smell. His skin smelled of black pepper and his hair like honey, the steam around him like sandalwood and the water had hints of lychee berries and vanilla. He had never felt so pampered in his life, but when he heard the knock at the door, he was brought back into reality. "Yeah yeah, I'm done. I'm done." He sighed as he got up and toweled off.

Vlad drummed his fingers on his arm, Daniel was taking much too long. But then again, how long had it been since the boy could even relax properly? He knocked on the door and heard the snarky response from the teen. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and thought about those fingers getting clean. Now he wouldn't have to worry about filth being spread to him. His eyes peeked open when he heard the soft creak of the door. "There's a pair of clothes on your bed. Come to the main hall when you're done," Vlad walked off without another word. "But I don't... know where that is." Danny sighed and quickly hurried to his room.


	4. Pants Don't Just Disappear

Getting those clothes on was the worst damn thing that Danny could have been doing. He got stuck at least five times, and let out a frustrated groan as he fumbled with the neck and sleeves. _Who made this stupid sweater? A ghost granny? It shouldn't be this hard to get in._ After several vulgar phrases, he finally got the sweater properly on. Letting out a relieved sigh, he reached for the pants. His hand grabbed at nothing. Danny's brow furrowed as he scanned the room for his now missing pants. _Pants don't just up and disappear,_ Danny thought to himself. He bent down to look under the excessively grand bed, seeing only dust bunnies. Okay, this wasn't funny. They were literally sitting right there.

Danny searched the whole room for those damn pants, but he came up with nothing. They had literally just been right there on his be- wait. Danny's eyes narrowed as he found the pants, sitting right where they had been left. Was he being pranked? Danny scanned the room, straining to hear a small giggle or anything of the like. Nothing. "Alright, hahaha. Very. Funny." He ungracefully tugged on the khaki jeans and zipped them up. The pants were hugging him uncomfortably, in two very distinct places. Tugging the sweater down past his ass, he began to make a move to the door. He might as well find that main hall Vlad was talking about.

While searching for the main hall, he stumbled into some very nervous looking maids. "Hey do you guys know where th-," the girls squeaked after taking a look at him and ran before he could finish the question. Okay, so he wasn't going to get any answers from them. Great. Danny wandered down the huge halls, his attention easily misplaced by strange looking doors and dark tapestries. Maybe he could ask that old guy to let him explore, if that was even an option. It'd be a lot more fun than sitting around and doing nothing. His foot stepped into nothingness, and he barely had time to catch himself. "Shit!" His heartbeat had quickened tenfold. _Well, I found the stairs._

After catching his breath, he willed himself to move his feet. He hadn't died yet. Releasing a shaky laugh, he got to the bottom stair. Had it really frightened him that bad? Danny glanced up to the very top. If he had actually fallen, he probably wouldn't be feeling too hot right now. He shook his head violently to clear those thoughts, now wasn't the time to think about snapped necks.

Vlad waited. Impatiently and grumpily, but he waited. It couldn't be that hard to find the main hall, Vlad had to constantly remind himself that, no. Daniel had no way of knowing the layout of the castle. He couldn't exactly get mad at him for his confusion. When he had first moved in, every day had been an unwanted adventure. He'd find himself in the gardens, when he _must_ have been going to the dining hall. So, with an understanding that only those with grandiose mansions felt, he began to relax. The little badger would find his way eventually. After several minutes, he caught glimpse of the young man. "Daniel! This way," Vlad had caught his attention, "How dull are you, little badger? It isn't hard to find a main hall." He put emphasis on _main_ , a smirk touching his lips.

An icy glare is what Vlad got in return. Vlad began to love these little moments of anger. "I'm not an idiot! Maybe your castle should be smaller..." Danny grumbled softly and walked right past him. _Oh my._ Those pants were tight on Danny's legs, showing every curve and muscle. Vlad's eyes roamed up, becoming fixated on the firm... and then he heard that annoying incessant voice. "So where are we going? You said I was getting my hair cut, right?" With a sigh, Vlad began to lead him to a small room off the side of the hall. "Yes Daniel, and I decide the cut. You don't mind, right little badger?" He grinned at the worried look he received. He had just the cut in mind.

Danny was sat in a chair, his back to the fidgety man with scissors. He mentally begged Vlad to go easy on him, scared that he might lose a piece of his ear in the process. He might have felt better, if that hairdresser wasn't so anxious and bouncy. But there was nothing he could do to change Vlad's mind. He might as well relax. Danny tried to eavesdrop on the murmuring pair, wanting to know what the fruit loop had planned. All he gained from their conversation was that the drop in Vlad's voice was... soothing almost. It was on the edge of pleasant. Suddenly a snip sounded near his ear, causing him to jump. "Please be still while I do this...," mumbled the young hairdresser, draping a towel over Danny's shoulders.

The quiet snipping almost put Danny to sleep, but he was shaken from his peace several times. Vlad was extremely close, whispering directions into the man's ear softly. Danny wiggled when a finger traced his ear lobe. It tickled. Hair fell slowly onto his covered lap and the floor, there was so much of it. After some time had passed, he heard the sound of a blow dryer. His head felt much lighter compared to when he first sat in the chair. "Done." The hairdresser moved away, and suddenly a mirror was thrust into Danny's face. His hair was... it was actually really great. Shorter on the sides but long on the top, his hair curled for the first time since he was small. It was a rather handsome cut, the white that was majority of his hair was now only on the tips, and it suit him well.

There was a soft sound of approval that escaped from Vlad's throat. There was no way of knowing how the style would turn out on the boy, but it was satisfying to see how correct he had been. "Do you like it Daniel?" Danny bit his bottom lip and nodded slowly, the towel being removed from his shoulders. He knew Danny didn't want to admit that Vlad knew what he was doing, and that he was thankful, but Vlad could allow that for the time being. He held out his gloved hand for Danny to take it, and when he grabbed hold, Vlad pulled him up. "Now let's get those nasty hands taken care of."

Danny was caught on the gloves, even while he followed the older man to another room. It didn't make much sense for a man to be wearing such nice of gloves while he wasn't doing business. While thinking, he couldn't stop playing with his hair. It was so new to him, and extremely soft. He hadn't had a haircut since... Danny didn't want to think about it. There was no reason for him to. There was no reason for him to think of black hair and purple lipstick, or glasses and a red beret. They were gone now, he was in a new place with new thoughts. He wouldn't be caught reminiscing by Vlad. They walked into a darker room from the last, with the light refraction of water on the walls. A soft and sweet smell filled the air, and carried on lightly colored smoke. This room was meant to be calming.

It was meant to be calming, but why wasn't it calming him? In fact, it all made him very anxious. He was sat down in yet another chair, although this one was more springy than the last. A woman sat in front of him, long golden locks flowing down her shoulders and pooling onto the table. She was very beautiful, plump red lips quirking at the sight of him. She began to speak to Vlad, but all Danny could focus on was her hair. It was liquid gold, and without thinking he found himself comparing it to the pure silver of Vlad's hair. He preferred Vlad's. He took all of her in as she took his hands and dipped them into rose water. He didn't listen to anything she said, answering her questions with soft grumblings.

Vlad was feeling a small ball of cold build up in his stomach. Why was his little badger staring at this woman like that? It was getting rather annoying to see him like this. He was the one that saved Daniel, not this large breasted tramp. Why wasn't he getting stared at like a deity? How ridiculous. He turned his attention to Danny's hands, watching at the meticulous cleaning and gentle shaping. She was being too gentle with him, her touches too soft and caring. His dark blue eyes narrowed when she giggled at something his little badger said, gently slapping his wrist with her small hand. He couldn't wait for this experience to finish. Vlad hated this feeling in his chest, and he didn't bother to think about why it was there. His eyes got caught on Danny's hands again as the woman dried them off.

They were clean and perfect, his nails shining like glittery pink pearls. They were beautiful, and despite the small scars that lined up in a strange fashion, nothing was wrong with them. Danny had barely risen from his seat before Vlad grabbed him. This caused Danny to jump, and Vlad to grin. He waved the woman off as he led Danny out of the room. "Are you hungry Daniel? It's near lunchtime, and I happen to have a long list of gourmet chefs working for me." Danny's stomach growled at the thought of food, and Vlad immediately started to take him down to the dining hall. "Yeah actually, I don't think I've eaten for...," Danny trailed off, trying to remember when. He didn't even know how long he had been out for.

"Well, you're a growing boy after all. I can get you all the food you need," Vlad looked down and genuinely didn't mean to cause any offense. But of course, Daniel was as hostile as an actual badger. Danny glared up at him angrily, "I'm almost 18. I am not a boy!" Well, if he wasn't a boy then... he snaked an arm around Danny's waist. "Woah! What the hell are you doing, old man?!" Danny wrenched away from Vlad, his lips curling into a snarl. "Don't... Don't fucking touch me like that! You creep!" Vlad suddenly grew angry, pushing Danny into the wall and holding him there, his leg pressed between Danny's. His eyes were narrowed to small slits. "I can touch you however I want Daniel... I'm the one that saved you after all..."

Danny choked back another shout and began to shake from their proximity. Vlad was a very large man, towering over Danny. One of his gloved hands gripped Danny's wrists, pinning him there to the spot. He glared up at Vlad with intense hate, "Let go of me you fruit loop!" Well that was the wrong thing to say. Vlad's grip tightened while his free hand began to creep down Danny's side, gladly taking in the fact that he had chosen such a tight, albeit long, sweater for the boy. Danny struggled to get away, but froze when he felt warm gloved fingers touching his bare stomach. His muscles tensed, and Vlad could feel every quiver and pulse they created. Danny felt Vlad lean in, his lips brushing against Danny's sensitive ears. "I've let you into my home, so you will let me touch you however I please... understand, little badger?" Danny sat there silently, overcome by Vlad's cinnamon scent.

He bit his lip hard as a large digit began to slowly circle his small bud, he began to feel his pants... no. No this had to stop. "I understand... I get it. Please just... Can we go eat?" Danny was practically begging him to stop, and he let out a sigh of relief as the hand slid out from the sweater. He relaxed once Vlad was a good five feet away from him. Vlad looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, then grinned. "Of course little badger," and with that, Vlad began to walk away. Danny pulled the sweater down, over his pants. No way could Vlad see, not after that little scene. That would give him way too many ideas. Reluctantly, Danny followed Vlad through the darkening hallways.


	5. Well There's a Damn Nightmare

He had been pressed against Daniel, every inch of their bodies flush together. What if it had been bare skin? How would young Daniel feel then? Vlad couldn't stop thinking about the contact as he led the way. It was beneath him to worry about what the little badger thought though, he was only there as an instrument. He was there only because of the hands he was born with, there to play the music that Vlad never could. Because they were perfect, and Vlad's had never been. He could tell Daniel was lost in his own thought, his hands holding down the sweater tightly. It was clear what he was hiding and Vlad had to stifle a grin. Did Daniel really think he wouldn't notice? But he complied to Daniel's silent wishes, not wanting to invoke another bout of anger. Despite this, it was much more fun to annoy the boy than actually listen to him. His expressions were amusing. At best.

When Danny sat at the table, he became suspicious. Being worried about poison was ridiculous, but well, Vlad was such a creepy guy. Anything could be possible at this point. A voice nagged softly in the back of his head, trying to tell him that Vlad had put way too much effort into cleaning him up for him to die. Vlad wanted him for something else, but Danny quickly pushed these thoughts back. There in front of him was a very large plate of food. A plate way too big for any normal person. This didn't stop him from reaching out to scarf it all down. He turned to say a quick thank you to whoever had brought it out, but when they made eye contact, they ran. "It's the eyes you know, they're terrified that you're a monster of sorts," the older man spoke loudly, gently setting a napkin on his lap.

Danny watched as Vlad began to remove the ivory gloves. "Why would they think that? It wasn't my fault I was born weird..." His eyes followed every movement the man made. He hadn't seen his hands once, and he wondered what they looked like. Maybe they were burnt, kind of like the Phantom of the Opera? Probably not, this guy was way too safe to be near a fire... a fire... Images began to flash through his head. He couldn't make heads or tails of the things he was seeing. Whatever they were, it made him feel strange. Something made him not want to eat the heaping pile of food.

Vlad hid his hands away from the prying eyes of Daniel. He didn't deserve to see the reason why he wore them. His own hands disgusted him, the way they shook from just being still made him angry. They had never stopped shaking after the accident with his mother... All the washing had stained his hands pink, the skin never fully healing. Blisters and scabs riddled his fingers and knuckles. It hurt to move them fully. No, Daniel didn't need to see this. Especially not when he was dealing with his own memories. The boy was more troubled than Vlad had been. He gingerly slid his gloves for meals on, making sure not to reopen any of the wounds. It still hurt, after all these years.

It took quite a bit of force for Danny to snap out of it. He didn't need to remember right now, Vlad had told him he could have all the time in the world. Despite the growing dislike for the man, he seemed to be almost understanding of his situation. Vlad hadn't forced memories on him either, but they seemed to be creeping in right at the edge of his brain. They wanted to be remembered, they wanted Danny to be whole again. But Danny, well, he didn't want to remember. He much rather focus on this awkwardly silent meal with a creepy old man. And yes, he was very... attractive. But attractive people could be just as creepy as ugly people. Being pretty just made it easier for the action to be accepted as a compliment. What had happened hadn't felt like a compliment.

He needed to eat, even Vlad had already begun on his meal. _He changed his gloves_ , Danny stared in confusion. Did he never let his hands out in the open? He popped a small piece of meat into his mouth. **_Woah._** It melted on his tongue. He had never tasted anything like it. Soon his plate was cleared of any speck of food. It honestly looked like it had never been eaten off of in the first place. With a content sigh, Danny leaned back in the soft dining chair. He fought back the urge to pat his stomach, ignoring the thoughts of high school lunches filled with laughter and bullies.

Vlad was almost impressed. He had known that the boy was hungry, but he hadn't known just how hungry he really was. Within a mere ten minutes, the pile of food that would have taken a normal person half an hour to eat, was gone. He was a little proud that Daniel had enjoyed it so much. And whatever had been bothering his little badger before didn't seem to cross his mind. In fact, he had relaxed so much that it seemed as if Daniel had always been there. As if he had lived alongside Vlad forever. What a silly thought. It was even sillier of the boy to be so vulnerable and open. He needed to learn how to hide his expressions better. If he didn't, he could never make it out in the real world. _This is his world_ , Vlad's brow furrowed as he thought it over. Who said that he had to go back outside? He would stay with Vlad as long as he wanted him there.

When the meal was finished and the plates were taken away, Vlad rose to his feet. He had to wash his hands right away, food must have gotten into the cloth and touched him. He could feel it dirtying him as he stood there. "There's a washroom over there," Vlad waved vaguely in some direction, "Once you have washed your hands thoroughly, I may introduce you to the staff. Remember to get everywhere. I didn't have your hands perfected for nothing." He walked away from the table, his skin itching with the need to be washed. It was crawling there. There. Just below his... "Alright fruit loop. What a fucking weirdo..." He was suddenly grateful for Daniel's uninsightful commentary. It kept him from thinking of that feeling.

Once Vlad was gone, Danny quickly scrambled out of his seat. He wasn't paying much attention to what the creep had said, lost in his own world of thought. Wash his hands. That's all he got from it. What a fucking weirdo. What even was his deal? He was so careful about his own hands. Now he wanted Danny to do meticulous cleanings of his own? Yeah. Hell no. He began to search for the washroom Vlad had mentioned. He found a bare wall. That wasn't quite what he expected, but it was so barren. Where was the door? It had to be there. Danny walked up and down the length of the wall, unable to find it. Alright, where had the door gone? He had seen it on his way in. First his jeans, then a door. A door can't disappear out of the damn blue. It was literally impossible. That's something that can't walk away.

As he stepped back, he saw that it was right in front of his face. Like literally right in front of his face. _How the hell did I miss that?_ Was he not seeing properly? Maybe he needed glasses or something. Danny rubbed his eyes, pressing his palms into them hard. Maybe it would disappear again. When he opened them back up, the do- nope. Yeah. It was still there. In the place it had always been. Since the door was put in this damn building. What if he couldn't find his favorite constellations? The ones he had loved since he was a small child? He slowly grew disturbed at the thought, hating the idea of losing the one precious thing he had left.

Right, he had a purpose for being there. For even looking at this stupid door. The fruit loop wanted his hands clean. His mental state wouldn't matter much to Vlad, after all the older man was crazy anyways. It must be a form of OCD. That's the only logical reason. He slowly turned the knob, worried that the door would disappear at any moment. Of course it didn't, because the problem wasn't the door. It was him. He was the one disappearing. Danny shook his head violently, attempting to clear his strange thoughts. Clean. Right that's what he was doing. His sister had always told him he had a small attention span, and now he was beginning to agree. But what was her name? What was his sister's name?

It troubled him. He couldn't remember her name. He couldn't remember her name or even her face. All that he could imagine was a blur of red. What had she even liked? He grew sick, legitimately sick, the food he had enjoyed only minutes before threatening to find its way back up. He scrubbed his hands hard, trying to bring himself out of the crazed daze he was experiencing. He had to wake up from his thoughts, if he got lost in them he might not be able to come back. Danny dug under his nails, spotting a small piece of dirt. He dug, and dug. It wouldn't come out. He snapped into reality, blood trickling into the burning hot water. What had he just been doing? Wasn't he aware of anything?

Vlad waited outside of the door, tapping his foot at a fast rate. It seemed as if he would have to do this quite a bit in the days to come. Until Daniel figured out his own schedule. If he could even do that. He didn't seem to be as smart as he had hoped for, but that was fine. Vlad would learn to live with this, just as he had learned to live with the shaking. He heard a shout of confusion and he quickly felt a seed of worry. He knocked, maybe a little too rapidly. He almost hit Daniel when the door swung open. The little badger was pale and sick looking, he held his hands to his sides stiffly. "Are you alright? I was sure you had fallen into the toilet," Vlad grinned at him widely, earning him a much appreciated glare. "Sadly I didn't, but now I'm looking at you instead."

The retort was shaky more than anything, no real force put behind it. Whatever it was had shaken Daniel to the core, his eyes glazed over as he thought about another place. The seed of worry slowly began to sprout. "Daniel, I can introduce you to the staff later if you would like. It seems as if you may need a rest more..." He received a blank look, but something sparked behind it. Daniel blinked, finally back in the right place. The place beside Vlad. The place that Vlad had brought him into, to share. "Yeah, yeah I could use a nap actually. That's a great idea," Daniel was trying his hardest to be there. What could possibly be plaguing him?

The walk back to his room took way too long. At least Danny thought so. He just wanted to sleep and to block out the thoughts he was having. It wasn't good to be having breakdowns in front of a man with his own mental problems. He had to beg Vlad to take him to the room himself, worried he would get lost and have the door disappear like before. He didn't like him, not one bit. Although, he never would have able to get up those stairs without him. Or be able to find his room. He was as useless as a drunk right now, and it embarrassed him that Vlad was there to see everything. But as he was laid down gently by a warm figure, he began to appreciate their silver hair and worried eyes. They tucked him in and mumbled something. That voice was familiar, he had heard it only moments before, but he couldn't quite place it. A burning hand was placed to his head as he fell asleep.

If he had only been a better brother, he could have saved her. Ginger hair turning into flame and a blue headband burning up with it. He could have helped, but he couldn't make it. _What was her name? Why can't I remember?_ She loved psychology. She had always been there for him, and the time that she needed him most, he wasn't there. She became little more than ash within less than an hour. Everyone had. His two best friends, his family. Who were they? Why _**couldn't**_ he remember? The heat was rising up around him and enveloping him, wanting to turn him into ash with the others.

Danny awoke with a start, breathing shallowly. It was dark inside the room, the window revealing a small sliver of the moon. How long had he been out for? Where was Vlad? He began to panic, his breath ragged. Danny cried out for the older man, fear overtaking him. He wanted comfort, he needed it. Danny needed to be held, and it didn't matter who it was.


	6. Want Some Shitty Comfort?

Daniel had woken with a cold sweat in his own bed, while Vlad nearly fell out of a chair he had been dozing in. So it wasn't nearly, he had actually fallen right out of the chair. Onto the hard floor beneath him. _Ouch._ Vlad had refused to leave his little badger there by himself, just in the case of something like this happening. He had made the right decision. But his swelling pride quickly deflated when he heard the crying. Oh no no, that, that wasn't good. Those tears couldn't happen. "Daniel, Daniel hush. I'm right here my boy...," Vlad made his way to the bed. The crying slowly turned into terrifying wails, pain laced into every hiccup and breath. Vlad carefully sat beside the boy. Daniel was curled into himself, his whole body wracked by the violent sobs. It unnerved Vlad, he had never seen someone so... he didn't know how to describe it. It wasn't right.

"Daniel, what happened? What did you see?" No answer, the crying felt as if it would never stop. Vlad drew Daniel onto his lap with no resistance. He was like putty, letting anything happen to him. It made Vlad stop and wonder. The boy could do practically nothing in response, and if he had decided to touch him... to make him cry even harder... What idiotic thoughts. Horribly cruel and unnecessary thoughts. This was a broken boy, and no one could understand that better than himself. He didn't need to be broken more. He froze when Daniel hid his face in Vlad's chest, the tears staining the man's nightshirt. "Don't cry little badger, I'm here. I won't leave you," Vlad murmured softly into his ear. He hoped it would reach through to him. He wouldn't have been able to tell anyways.

Vlad gently played with the curls of Daniel's hair, noticing the calming effect it had on him. The sobs began to quiet down, whether it be exhaustion or otherwise. And as he hummed tunelessly, he wondered what Daniel's hair felt like. Yes he was touching it, but those gloves were in his way. How bad did he want to know? It looked as soft as down. It probably was. No, no he wouldn't be able to handle it. Even though Daniel had just washed that morning, even if his hair was freshly cut. He hadn't touched someone in years. He needed to stop thinking about it, he felt as if bugs were burrowing under his skin. _Stop it, quit it, one of us needs to be sane right now_. And it wasn't going to be Daniel.

Danny wasn't there. He was but he wasn't. He wanted to stop thinking. He didn't want to remember what his brain screamed at him to. He had to remember, he would have to one day. Today wasn't the time. It hurt him, trying to think burned him. Vlad. Vlad was trying to ease him, trying to make it seem like Danny was safe. He knew he was, he knew that everything was okay right now. Nothing could get him, he didn't have to worry about saving anyone. Oh but those thoughts wouldn't stop pushing, visions of pain and fire trying to take over him. _No no no. Stop, please stop. I don't want to remember, please don't make me remember._ Danny's head felt like pure lead, everything was muddled. But bursts of clarity rushed in. He wanted him to be gray, he didn't want color returned to those painful memories. He looked to Vlad, pain and desperation in his eyes.

"Vlad I don't want it to hurt, make it stop hurting...," he had Vlad's full attention,"Please, anything to stop remembering..." Danny was giving him full control over what was happening. He knew that the damned fruit loop could think of other things, he didn't want them, but maybe it would help. Maybe those things would make him forget. Forget for now. That's all he wanted. He just wanted to forget, _forget forget **forget**_. He didn't notice when he was pushed down, or when his sweater was pushed up. He needed to focus on those things, he needed to get it together. He didn't want this old guy touching him, even though he had asked for it. He had given him permission, even if he wasn't in his right mind. Vlad could have interpreted it a hundred different ways. It wasn't Danny's fault. It was all Vlad's.

It had startled Vlad when Daniel asked him. No, it wasn't a question. It was begging, Daniel had been begging for Vlad to ease his pain. Begged like a crying dog for attention. He wasn't sure what he should do, the man who knew everything was left clueless. It was a situation that he had never gone over before, he had never imagined he would be taking care of a struggling amnesiac. Letting one live in his house. He had himself to worry about, he didn't ever consider the prospect of dealing with another one. What did he want? What was Daniel asking him to do? There was no way for Daniel to stop remembering those things, unless he... his previous thoughts came to mind. He wouldn't look at him, he wouldn't actually touch him. He had his gloves on, it would be fine.

Daniel paid no attention to Vlad. Even though he was doing everything in his power for the boy to focus on something else. He understood what it felt like to have one of these breakdowns, to have memories rush back and bite him in the ass. He had experienced it all before. And he had experienced this type of distraction as well. Back when he was a young boy. It had ruined his hands, and he had the memory under lock and key. It wouldn't plague him like these thoughts plagued his little badger. Vlad kissed at the delicate skin beneath Daniel's ear, causing a soft intake of breath from the boy. There, he had it. He finally had distracted him. He could take him out of that dark world for at least a little while.

He felt guilty, this wasn't the answer to Daniel's problems. It was like drinking, something Vlad did every night. He didn't want that for the boy, but now was different. This was urgent. He planted soft kisses down to collarbone, his gloved hands drawing small circles into his little badger's stomach. Vlad was hunched over him, straddling his hips. He prayed that the boy wouldn't hate him for this later. That he wouldn't hold it against him. He was trying to help, and as he sucked at those sensitive spots, he knew Daniel would. He would blame him to the end of their days. He'd be known as the man to steal his virginity with force. But it hadn't been forceful, Daniel had asked. He wouldn't do it. He wouldn't take it, but he would help.

Danny was forced back into the moment, forced to hold back a sound of approval. He felt a warm mouth pressing against his chest, giving attention to his perking rosy buds. Vlad's tongue swirled slowly, making Danny anxious for any other stimulus. They were sensitive, way more sensitive than he had ever thought they were. The other ached for attention, which Vlad attended to. He was so methodical, taking his sweet time. Danny didn't understand why he was being gentle and slow, it didn't seem like him... oh. Oh that had just felt good, whatever Vlad had just done. "Do that again... please.." The older man complied, gently grazing his teeth over the sensitive spot. Danny mewled softly, not expecting it to feel better the second time.

Vlad looked up at Daniel, seeing what he liked more. His face twisting to hold back any more sounds. He was so easy to read, but Vlad liked that. He liked that Daniel didn't have to worry about what people thought. He was an open book, showing everything on his face... Daniel had dimples. He hadn't noticed before, even though he had witnessed the boy smile while eating. He drew away from his chest, focusing on nibbling at his ears. They were bright red, even with blood flowing south. At this proximity, he could see every feature on Daniel's face. Small scars from where he had been cut, his nose a little uneven from having it broken, every thread that formed his irises. He was beautiful. The realization had just hit him.

Danny sucked in a breath as a gloved hand unzipped his jeans. The sound was drowned out by his heavy breathing, all thoughts of his dream gone. Was he really going to... to touch him? No, no he didn't want to be touched like that. This isn't what he meant. He had wanted anything else. Then all thought was lost. He lost his breath as well, the hand slowly trailing up and down his length. "Stop... Vlad stop...," he wasn't entirely sure if he really wanted that. But the hand didn't stop, it just become agonizingly slow. He needed more contact. He couldn't wait there. Despite his words, Danny thrust up into the touch.

Vlad sped up the slow strokes, the rhythm picking up. He sucked softly on Daniel's throat, kissing back up to that spot under his ear. Would it hurt to bite down? To taste him a little bit? He didn't want to think about what his hands were doing, if he did, he would become disgusted and scrub them for hours. His skin would crawl like ants, biting away at him until he scratched. Scratched until he bled. Until he got down to that bone and... stop that. Focus on this, not that. He didn't need to wind up like Daniel right now. He couldn't break down. If he did, they both wouldn't last more than a week. Strength. He needed some of it. With that thought, he bit down on that one little spot. Causing a full blown moan, making both of the men blush. Neither had expected it.

Danny quickly turned his head away from the man, his face as bright as a tomato. It wasn't the fact that he had made the noise, it was the way Vlad had looked when he did. Like he was enjoying it just as much as if he was the one experiencing it. He hid his face in the pillow, not wanting to be looked at. That hand tightened around the base of him, forcing another gasp out. It sped up. _Oh god,_ it just kept speeding up. He grabbed roughly at Vlad's shoulder, his muscles tensing hard. Then it hit. Oh how it hit, it flowed in through a large wave, he was lost in the clouds, biting down roughly onto the pillow. He couldn't hold back the soft groan, his body relaxing into the bed. His stomach was warm and wet.

"I'm so sorry Daniel..." Vlad sighed softly, removing the ruined gloves and using them to wipe up what had spilled out. He flung the gloves elsewhere, not wanting to touch them anymore. He would have some maid clean it tomorrow. Daniel couldn't sleep in those clothes, though Vlad didn't want to touch him with his bare hands. "Daniel, you may go back to sleep after you change into something more comfy..." He dug through a drawer beside the bed, pulling out a large sleep shirt. He set it beside the boy. "I'll meet you in the morning."

Vlad left, the need to wash his hands imminent. He was scratching, needing the boy's seed off of him. It had touched him. He had got some on him. No, no. It was contaminating him. He slammed the door close behind him, turning on the water as hot as it could go. It burned, but it wasn't enough to burn it off. He dug into his skin, scratching without end. His breathing was getting shallow, the once clear soap turning pink from the mixing of blood. Off, it needed to get off. The gloves had done nothing. Contamination, he's been ruined. Sullied.

Danny was much comfier after he changed, the reality of what happened not fully hitting him. He was still riding that high, and it had been the answer. His mind was clear of anything that was hurting him. Within minutes, he was back in bed. But then, then it happened. Guilt crashing over him. What had he just done? Why had he done it? Why did he let Vlad do that to him? Tears threatened to spill out, amazed at his own stupidity. Was he an idiot? He had just begged some insane old guy to do that... no, he hadn't wanted it. He had wanted to forget, but not like that. That night, Danny cried for a different reason from when he woke up.


	7. Aaaand It Goes Downhill

The morning came. It took forever, but it finally came. Vlad looked out the window, dark shadows under his tired eyes. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about it, about what had happened. Yes, he felt bad. But hadn't the boy consented? Hadn't he asked for it? Yes, but no. It had been a fit of desperation, one that could have easily been corrected with comfort, not _that._ His little badger had seemed so cute with tears staining his cheeks, voice ragged from the crying, the need for relief plastered on his face. Very, very cute. Even though it had resulted in being dirtied. Even though it had caused the boy to be more lost and broken. His hands were bandaged tightly, needing to heal from the scrubbing. Vlad would let Daniel sleep a little longer, he needed it.

Vlad rose from his chair, wanting to change into something immediately. He had showered after getting back to his room, but he still felt unclean. It was his hands, even though he had scrubbed until he bleed, he was still unclean. The thought nagged at him as he threw a sweater over his head. He had quite a few sweaters, due to his love for knitting. The act didn't require much from his hands, so it didn't hurt as bad as other hobbies. He had picked up knitting from his father before he died, and had enjoyed it much more compared to playing piano. Maybe if his dear mother had let him do that instead, he wouldn't have the problems he had today. He wouldn't be left with these festering and useless hands.

With his hair in a bun, Vlad left to go tell a maid to bring breakfast to Daniel. He would leave him alone for the better part of the morning. He had business, business he hated and wanted nothing to do with, but business nonetheless. His thoughts were on other things as he spoke to the shy girl, thinking of work and piano and Daniel. Poor thing, poor Daniel. Those hands had gripped his shoulder, twisted the material beneath. Fingers digging in and leaving bruises. These are the thoughts that plagued him as he talked, the ones that followed him to his study. He had to make phone calls, important ones. Some about Daniel, others about his work. He wasn't excited to leave his little badger alone for a whole morning, maybe even longer. He glanced at the book before him and sighed loudly. He really didn't want to make these calls.

It took Danny awhile to fully open his eyes, the light shining intensely on his face. Why didn't Vlad close them? _Oh._ He remembered the night before, a faint blush settling on his pale cheeks. Why did he... he grew sick. He couldn't believe he had let it happen, especially from that motherfucking fruit loop... He grabbed the trashcan beside the bed, his meal from yesterday coming back up. He gasped for air raggedly, holding the receptacle close. Another gag, then another. He had let him touch him, he had asked for- nope. No he hadn't. That wasn't what he wanted, so he wasn't responsible. He caught his breath after some time, unable to get any more back up. He had been touched, that man had _touched_ him. He needed another shower, he needed different sheets and different pillows.

By the time he had made it to the bath, he was feeling a little better. His stomach didn't hurt as bad when it was empty, and thinking of exploring helped deter his thoughts. He could pretend like nothing had happened, no, he **would** pretend. As long as Vlad stayed silent, so would he. That was his decision, and it eased him somewhat. He didn't remember why he had woken up in the middle of the night anyways. He couldn't remember his dreams. His brow furrowed at the sight of the tub, had he filled it? Or had it been filled when he walked in? He stuck his hand in, surprised by the warmth. Vlad wasn't the one who started the water, he knew for a fact that Vlad hadn't. Who did? Danny peeked out, looking for signs of a maid or anyone. No one. No one had been in this part of the hallway since yesterday.

Danny was clearly disturbed, wondering when he had done it. Maybe it wasn't best to think about it. What if he had wanted a shower? A cold one to clear his thoughts? Why had he decided on a warm bath where all he would want to do is sit there and think? His subconscious was totally messing with him. "Look brain, I don't want to think about it... Why don't you get that? You think you would since, you know, you're me..." Danny grumbled to himself as he stripped of the night shirt. Maybe he was going crazy, he didn't doubt it. He had lived in solitary for awhile now, and he, well at least he thought, that he had conked his head pretty hard at some point. But when had it happened?

He took the morning to relax, his breakfast brought to him by a small and concerned maid. He tried to explain to her that he was fine, just a little tired, but she would have none of it. She sat down with him as he ate, beginning to ask pointless questions about him and how he was. Shouldn't she be getting back to work? It was her job, and here she was trying to relax with him, get to know him. It was kind, and he appreciated it, he just didn't want it. Wait, couldn't she tell that he wasn't fine? Couldn't she see that he was shaking as he lifted the toast to his lips, struggling to eat it? Vlad would have seen, although he wouldn't ask about it. He seemed to understand that some things had to be left alone. Despite being a pompous asshole, he understood. His mind wandered to why he knew, why his hands were always covered and hidden. He wanted to see them, even when... last night... he hadn't taken them off during it. And his obsession with Danny's hands? It was all very weird to him.

Nothing was normal at this point though, he couldn't even find things right in front of him. She was still talking, he realized. He hadn't even realized until she said something about Vlad. He looked at her hesitantly,"What do you know about him?" She shook her head violently, showing him that she was just as clueless as he was. She only knew that he constantly had to get treated for his hands. And the only reason why she knew that was because she was the one who had to bandage him up every so often. She told him that he had been in therapy for a while, though she didn't know exactly why. He thanked her and asked her to change the sheets for him. The way she looked at him made Danny feel sick. He let her talk as she did her chores, only half-listening to her stories. He enjoyed the company, it made him feel better.

She wasn't scared of him like the others were, they had all looked at him with fear when he tried to ask questions. She didn't. Her presence was comforting and warm, like a sister... And her red hair seemed to ease him more than anything. "My name is Danny by the way," he sat down and fiddled with the lamp on the desk. She turned and smiled brightly, "Well it's wonderful to talk with you Danny!" Then she left. Why hadn't she told him her name? That wasn't fair at all. It made him feel as if introducing himself had been pointless. Maybe it had been to some extent, it seemed like the only people who wanted to really know him were few. And by few he meant one. But even Vlad wasn't too interested in having a full conversation with him, he was more interested in proving that he was smarter, that he was the one in charge of everything. That might not be wrong either, as Danny was too lost in Dreamland to be aware of anything.

It was around eleven in the morning when Danny couldn't contain his boredom. Vlad hadn't come by once, and after the maid had left he was stuck with nothing to do. It was frustrating, as if Vlad expected Danny to stay cooped up all day. He looked out the window and winced, the sun glaring off of the snow and nearly blinding him. Maybe he should get some fresh air. He didn't even know how long it had been since he had been stuck in this cold and gray place. He should get some real light, or otherwise he would wither and die like a rose without water. Maybe he was already withering. He found the large coat Vlad had given him on that first encounter, his ears turning red. He had been so kind then, had it all been an act? A lie to get him to willingly come in? He shoved his arms through the sleeves, the proceeded to struggle with the damn zipper for a full five minutes.

Danny gave it one good tug, then huffed when the zipper broke clean off. What? How the hell did that happen? He looked at the small tab in desperation, trying to put it back on. Come on, he loved this coat! Why did it have to break then and there? Right when he was about to go outside? He thought that whoever was up in the sky was laughing right now, laughing at him. It seemed about right, it seemed as if the whole of everything was against him. He knew it wasn't true but- wait. What? Hold on. The zipper was fixed, it hadn't been broken at all. It was zipped up perfectly fine. Then what was he holding? He looked down, his hand a fist around it. He could feel something there, he could feel the cold metal warming up and digging into his skin. He opened up his hand slowly, revealing nothing. There was absolutely nothing in his palm.

He had felt it though, he knew it was there a moment ago. Now he just stared in confusion. So it wasn't just his vision now, he was imagining situations that weren't real. Like an insane person. No, Danny wasn't crazy, there was no way he was crazy. He was just confused, he hadn't had proper air in days. He had been touched last night... his brain just wasn't working at full speed. That's it. It'd be over soon, he knew it would. He quickly left the room, stepping into the looming hallway. Okay, all he had to do was find a way out to the gardens he had hid in. That wasn't too hard. As he began to walk, he found himself focusing more and more on the carpet. There were strange patterns hidden in the fabric, faces staring up at him and laughing. Taunting him, calling his name. Okay, he knew that wasn't real. Unless Vlad had murdered people and their ghosts were stuck in that carpet. Which Danny highly doubted.

His parents had been obsessed with ghosts, always telling him scary stories before he went to bed. Danny grew to love things related to the supernatural, he almost loved it as much as space. They told him long stories of all the ghost hunts they helped with, all of them were unsuccessful. Even though they were more obsessed with ghosts than the want to pay attention to their kids, Danny loved him with all his heart. They were gone. His parents were gone, and they wouldn't ever speak to each other again. He leaned against the wall, shock hitting him. He'd never see his mom, he'd never hear his dad's booming laugh. He couldn't remember, he used to be able to. He used to be able to hear every inflection in his father's voice, but now it was toneless. He couldn't remember it. What did they look like? Maybe... maybe he needed to remember, maybe it was for the best. He didn't want to remember, it would hurt more to remember their voices than to not know.

Danny picked up his feet, starting to walk again. Fresh air, that was what he needed. He didn't need to remember. Remembering wasn't important. It took him a long time to find the glass door, but through it he could see the snow. He needed to touch something real for a moment, he needed his bare skin to feel things other than stone and cloth. He stepped outside, the cold wind rushing against his face. He took a deep breath, the air hurting his lungs. This. He needed this. He grabbed a fistful of snow with his bare hands, biting into it with delight. He had lived in this for such a long time, but only now did he appreciate it. He ran. He had no reason to, if only to get his blood pumping. The cold cleared his thoughts, making everything bright and sharp. He could think, holy baby, he could think. Nothing was muddled, and he looked up at the sky. He was there, this was a moment where he was fully there. _I'm here, I'm alive and I'm here. I'm here right now, breathing._ He laughed, the sudden burst of energy filling him with light. It was wonderful.

Vlad finished his phone calls up, but found himself in another predicament. He had an appointment. One that needed to happen. He stared at the small memo unhappily. Looking at the clock, he let out a long sigh. He could probably leave Daniel alone for an hour or two longer. The boy was probably holed up in his room, not wanting to move. And there was no way that the boy was idiotic enough to go outside. He hadn't fully healed up from his time out there, his immune system was still weakened, and if he went out there again he would get sick. Very sick. Vlad didn't need him getting sick, not after he already had the boy all fixed up. Daniel was smarter than that, surely. He'd have to tell the staff to keep an eye on him, make sure he eats and stays within the areas that he should. He would tell them that before he left.

The older began to pack his small bag. He had to bring paperwork, his prescription, whatever. He hadn't made any progress with the new medicine, anybody could see that. They could tell just by looking at his hands. He wasn't allowed to wear his gloves when they were fresh like this, but luckily the servant had covered every bit of skin with bandage. He paused, glancing out the window and missing Danny by little more than a second. He hoped his little badger would be fine without him, but he also knew he needed some space. Surely he was still thinking about it like Vlad was. Surely it wasn't just him. The boy had to be stuck on it. Vlad grabbed his keys, suddenly nervous at the thought of the visit. No, he had to go. Even if he hated the doctor and his worried face. He was fine, his hands were the problem. If he didn't have them... he'd have a lot less to worry about.


	8. Your Silk is Burning Babe

It ended much too fast for Danny. He had quickly grown exhausted while outside, and sat down to regain his breath. His hand gripped his chest as he began to calm down. The air was suddenly too cold, the pain of his breathing resonating through his body. He shouldn't have run, there wasn't any reason for him to in the first place, it just happened to feel _right._ Now he regretted the sudden action, wondering why he had grown tired so quickly. It must be because he had been laying around for more than a week. Anyone would be tired after moving, even a tiny bit, if they had experienced what he had. The snow burned his eyes, brutally white in his vision. He couldn't see.

Danny made a move to get inside, but stopped. No. No the door had been here. Another door couldn't have fucking disappeared. It was right here in front of him, it had to be. He felt the wall, confusion seeping in and mixing with the cold in his bones. What the fuck? Where the hell did the damn door go? He wouldn't fucking deal with this again, he refused to let this happen again. He pushed hard against the wall, then fell through the now open door. It had been there, he knew it. Danny let out a relieved sigh, laying on the hard ground. It hadn't moved, he just hadn't seen it. That was all. That's what it had been the first time. He was blinded by the snow, that's it. That had to be it.

He dusted the snow off his jacket and closed the door behind him after getting up. He was done for now, he wanted to be warm. Danny looked down the long hall, realizing he didn't remember the way he had came. Damn it. With a long groan, he began to walk. Nothing he could do about it, not now anyways. He might run into a servant, and ask for the way back. Hopefully they wouldn't run away from him, he really didn't need that right now. He didn't need a lot of things at the moment, but here he was, still seeing things. His thoughts broke off and stared at a tapestry on the wall. It was beautiful, looking as if it had been made out of silk. Would anyone mind if he did? No one would yell... he reached out, pulling the cloth in between his fingers. It was soft, and he wanted to wear it, for it to wrap around his skin and trail behind him. For someone to wrap into it with him.

What? Danny blinked and frowned. Why had he been thinking about that? He would never put that on his skin, but even then he was beginning to wrap it around himself. What was he doing? It just felt so nice and... it fell from the wall. It fell from the wall and it frightened him as the silk covered his whole body. The sensation freaked him out, not knowing how to deal with the texture. It was nice, but it was too much. Way too much. He wanted it off, but as he struggled to get out, he found himself more and more tangled. His breathing picked up, he was choking, oh god the silk was getting into his mouth. It was choking him, sliding down his throat. But suddenly it wasn't. The tapestry still hung from the wall, his hand no longer touching it. What... what had happened? Why was he still standing there? He hadn't even moved an inch. "Why... Why is this happening?" He took a step back, and fell into darkness.

It was a long spiral down, and when he had landed there were soft voices speaking in his ears. Warm breath tousled his hair and irritated his ears. They needed to stop, he didn't want to feel that. It was too weird. Hands slowly sid down his body, lifting him into an upright position. All around him was black, small hints of light far off in the distance. Where was he? Why did it seem so warm? So unbearably warm? Danny began to walk to the lights, curious of what it hid. But as he drew closer, the heat grew to an insufferable swelter. Fire rose up around him. There she was. His sister. She was burning, tears falling from her eyes and creating small pools that led on forever. Would she talk to him? He leaned beside her, ignoring the burning around him. "Danny, you didn't leave me...," her voice was full of hope. She had been waiting for him, waiting for him there in that fire.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out!" Danny tried to pull her out from the fallen rubble. How long had she been there? Why hadn't she been calling for help? "Jazz, Jazz I got you. Stop crying Jazz, you're safe." Her name. The words flew out of his mouth like they had been pre-recorded. It was like they weren't really from _him_ , they were from someone who only sounded like him. He wondered who spoke to her as he pulled her out and leaned her against his shoulder. Words were just rolling off the tongue, he didn't know what he was saying. Carrying her was hard, but finding the door was even harder. His eyes couldn't fail him now. He needed to get her out, if anyone, he had to get her. "Mom, Dad. They're still down in the basement. Danny, Danny you have to get them!" He looked at her, the light there showing the desperation. She needed them alive, she couldn't make it without them or her baby brother. He understood. He knew what it was like to live without them.

He said something to her as he laid her down. Fire hadn't come into the room yet, and this time he would use it as his advantage. Danny hurtled through the rooms, looking for the stairs. Every room looked the same, all of them engulfed in flame. There. That was where the stairs were. Blocked, why the hell did they have to be blocked? He tried to move the beams that had fallen, coughing harshly as he inhaled smoke. He could taste it, taste the ash. How had this happened? Why had his parents been down there at this time of night? He heard a voice, a voice of someone all too familiar. No _. No, why is she here? Why are they both here?_ He could hear the screams of his two best friends. He looked at the stairs, then at the door they were behind. Why, why did he have to make this choice? It wasn't fair. No, he had to be fast.

He sprinted to the door, tugging hard on the knob. It was stuck, the paint had melted and stuck the door. _Goddamn it!_ He strained against the door, trying to push it open with his shoulder. He shouted something to reassure them, he could hear Sam sobbing. He had to get this open, he needed to. He had to save them this time, it was his second chance. It didn't turn out as he wanted. He heard the crackle, the noise of what was about to happen. A rumble. Shit, shit no, this couldn't be happening again. Sam, Tucker. Those were his friends. And he had to leave him, he had to save at least Jazz. But she wasn't there, nothing was there anymore, except for burning. Then it happened. A loud boom, his head cracking hard. His head split finely. The fire felt different, it felt different from the first time. He could feel something pulsing through it. Something radiating.

He woke up, surrounded by worried staff. Where was Jazz? He had to get her safe. But they had wrapped him in a tight blanket, making it nearly impossible for him to move, putting him on the couch in Vlad's office. When did he pass out? Why were they all so freaked out? Danny started to sit up, but a man gently pushed him back down. "You shouldn't move boy. You obviously can't stand right, seeing as how we found you. What happened?" Danny looked at the man in confusion, wasn't he just in his house? Hadn't he just been knocked down from the blast? He couldn't answer, his mouth overly dry. It felt like his lips had been superglued together. He could only shake his head in response, gaining a few looks from a couple of the maids. They were worried about him, he could tell. But it made him angry. It felt like they were pitying him.

"It isn't...," his voice was raspy and quiet,"I'm fine... I just got dizzy." Danny looked at them, they knew he was lying. They could tell by his voice. They needed to stop, he didn't want them to feel bad. He was just as normal as them, just because he forgot things and saw things didn't mean he was different. He wasn't crazy. There was no way in hell that he was crazy. "Stop, stop looking at me like that!" His voice raised to a cracking shout, throwing a hateful glare at them all. The small crowd grew quiet. They thought he was crazy. They really did, and he grew dead silent. He sighed softly and took his head into his hands, trying to restrain tears. Why couldn't anyone see him as normal? Vlad. Vlad thought he was normal.

Vlad, on the other hand, was having struggles of his own. He was arguing with his therapist, trying to explain to him that he was fine. So why was he bandaged? He blamed it on a dog. Why was he so nervous? Because he had more important things going on back at home. The man stared at Vlad with narrowed eyes, extremely patient despite being frustrated. He was perfectly healthy, Vlad insisted that he was fine. He had even touched filthier and filthier things. This wasn't a lie, but it certainly wasn't making him feel any better. In fact, the idea of touching Daniel again made him sick. Daniel. He worried for the boy, he knew something wasn't quite right upstairs. Maybe he should get him a session with the therapist, it couldn't hurt to see what was malfunctioning up there. His little badger would be mad, maybe he would never play piano for him.

He had never mentioned the piano to Daniel, how idiotic of him! He knew what to do when he got back, they would have dinner together like a small family and... no. He had ruined it. That wouldn't happen. There would be that barrier they had crossed, and they would stand at the edge like buffoons. He couldn't forget that. It had only been the night before, but it felt like forever. Vlad would have taken it back if he could have, but the boy had wanted it. He had truly begged for it. Like a cat for milk. The therapist was talking slowly, and Vlad looked at him. He held a slip for a new prescription. He didn't want to take anything, he was perfectly normal. It wasn't his fault that his hands were disgusting and useless. It was his mother's. "Can I schedule an appointment for someone else? I've taken in a boy wh-" The man stared at Vlad incredulously.

"You've taken in someone with bad mental health?" The question was meant to be borderline rude, and Vlad grew mad. He was perfectly sane, he had every ability in the world to take care of someone other than himself. He wanted to reprimand his therapist, but held his tongue. "I would like an appointment for him. That's all I ask," he watched his doctor scribble something down. Vlad became relieved when he asked for the information. He was glad he paid for these sessions. They didn't help much, but it was nice to have someone reprimand him like his mother had. It was familiar to him after all of these years. Though this man wasn't bitter. This man didn't yell when he touched something. His doctor compelled him to.

Danny stared at the water he held, when had he drunk it? He didn't even remember touching it as the gardener tried to get a hold of Vlad. This was frustrating. Extremely frustrating. He hated his stupid brain, he hated it for forgetting everything. He hated it for making him think he did something, when he hadn't. It made him imagine voices and touches. Why wasn't he normal? He hadn't been like this before. Now, now he couldn't even think of what his dream had been. He had his sister's name finally, and it was gone again. Nothing stayed, it all left him. He wanted everything back. He wanted to be back home and he wanted to go to classes and be bullied. He missed it all so much that it hurt. When would he get it back? Why was it gone?

Danny hadn't noticed that the man was speaking hurriedly on the phone, finally getting ahold of Vlad. He looked to the ceiling and sighed softly. Blue. The ceiling above him was blue and stretched forever, almost like the sky. If he searched hard enough, he could find traces of people dancing there. They floated in the blue and waved for him, asking him to join. He began to chuckle to himself, lost in the illusion. One dance wouldn't hurt, would it? They so badly wanted him to dance, why shouldn't he oblige? He wanted to float up and dance beside them, clouds swirling on his heels. Maybe they would treat him normally. He snapped out of it.

He was being shaken roughly by the man who was Vlad's groundskeeper. He was worried for Danny, and it showed clearly in his eyes. "You were talking to someone. Who were you talking to young Daniel?" Danny frowned visibly. What was he talking about? Didn't he see the people up on the ceiling? "I was talking to the dancing couples. They're asking me to dance with them. I should really join them, they'll be really sad if I don't." The groundskeeper became extremely concerned and looked to the ceiling, seeing absolutely nothing. No people, there wasn't any blue up there either. He looked back down to Danny and didn't say much after. "Master Vlad is on his way..." Danny was confused, why was he coming back? Where had he even been?


	9. Crash-a-Stitch

That call had Vlad in a rush, a very very frantic rush. He knew he shouldn't have left the boy there by himself, really, he couldn't trust anyone to do anything right except for himself. He was irritated as he got in the car, and became even more frustrated as it struggled to start. He had to get back immediately, to do what? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure he could help Daniel with anything in particular. Yes, he had saved him from outside elements. That was easy, stupendously easy. It was the process of saving his mind that was, well, impossible. Vlad wasn't even entirely sure if his brain could be salvaged, hell, he was struggling with his own.

The car finally started and he let out a silent sigh of relief. It seemed luck might be on his side for the ride home. Driving was a piece of cake, driving in icy conditions was a bit more of a challenge. Technically. Maybe if Vlad had been focusing on the road instead of his own thoughts, he'd be fine. Maybe if his eyes hadn't wandered to the file in the passenger seat, he wouldn't be suspended from his car seat upside down. His head wouldn't be trickling with blood and his hands wouldn't have glass embedded in them. _Oh butter nuts,_ if he hadn't had pressed the brake. If he didn't panic when the wheels began to skid.

If he was only paying attention. He couldn't really move his hands, struggling to get the seatbelt off was a hassle. But he got it, and when he fell he let out a soft _oomph_. It was foolish of him to have thought luck was in his favor. It had never been, so why would it be now? He landed on his hands, a sharp wave of pain flowing through him. Blood seeped through the bandages covering the fragile skin, horror rushing over him. His hands, how many times would they be ruined? Vlad looked frantically around him, searching for a way to get out of the crushed car surrounding him. He had only wanted to get home. To make sure his little badger was okay. And this is what he got.

The window. The glass had broken, creating a small exit. He could get through, his eyes warily landing on the jagged pieces of glass hanging down. He could get through, sure, but he could get cut up badly. He had always been a careful child, staying away from all things that would hurt him, other than his mother. She was his lifeline, the thing that kept him safe despite endangering him. It was times like these where he missed her. Her constant anger would give way to reassurance and calm right now, she would carefully help him out and tell him what to do. She hated him, she always had, but she would never let him become hurt by anything but her. He was hers, and he always would be.

Vlad was careful, more careful than he had been while driving. Crawling out was difficult with the state his hands were in, pain shooting through his nerves with every movement. Idiot, he had been an idiot. He hated admitting it, but as he made it out onto the snow, he knew it to be true. His car was utterly destroyed, smoke billowing from some unknown place. His phone. Was it still in there? Shaking bloody hands patted softly at his pockets. There. It was in his pocket. But could he... could he reach it without doing further damage? His face was scrunched up as the pain hit him in waves, his hand spreading the blood into his pocket. Got it.

Calls were made, several calls to tow trucks and his own home. He needed someone to get him, to get his car and salvage everything in it. That's all he had to do and he could finally be home. Vlad sat back in the snow and waited. He waited and waited, feeling as if he was frozen in time. Like nothing would ever move again except for himself. Like his breath was the only show of life in this world, other than his own blood. He couldn't help but sigh. A lot. If he was only focusing, he'd be home by now. He'd be there talking to Daniel and calming him down, even if he hated him. But he had made a mistake, and he was left sitting there in the cold with glass making up a small portion of his body.

Danny watched the passing of the time, waiting for the fruitloop to make it back. He had decided that yes, he needed to talk to him about what was happening. He didn't want to, pride trying to deter him from admitting anything was actually happening, but he had to. He didn't like the feeling of having everything missing, in fact he hated it. As most people would. _Why's it taking that creep so long?_ Danny was getting worried, even though he didn't want to admit it. The sky was already darkening and it had been at least two hours since Vlad had been on the phone, telling them that he would be there right away.

Time passed by oddly, minutes going back and forwards over and over again. He wasn't quite sure what time it actually was, he only knew that it had passed due to the staff muttering and mumbling. Why was he feeling so anxious? There was no reason for him to be disturbed about the man's absence. In fact, he should be relishing in it. After what the older man had done to him last night, Danny should be praying that he would never come back. But what had happened did the exact opposite. It made him more worried, more concerned for his safety.

But then he heard it, he heard what they said about the accident. His head perked up automatically and he looked to the gardener. The man's tone was calm, but there was a hint of agitation. His leather face was scrunched up in worry as he made some quick commands to the neighboring servants. He was calling a doctor as soon as he got off the phone was Vlad, explaining the situation. Car keys jingling, hurried movements and a thick tension in the air that you could cut with a butter knife. Everyone was hurrying, but for Danny it was all slow. Like pouring molasses out onto a piece of toast. An accident? Vlad had gotten into an accident while on the way home to make sure Danny was okay?

Guilt engulfed him and he quickly stood up, wanting to help out in whatever way he could. He wasn't reliable, his brain riddled with headaches and confusion. But he wanted to be. Danny wanted for Vlad to be able to trust him, just as Vlad wanted to be trusted. They were both in a similar boat, made of different material and a different crew, but coming from the same port. They needed to sail together to get anywhere. But no. Danny was quickly forced back down onto the couch and told to stay still. Still so that he wouldn't wander off and pass out again. Still so that he wouldn't cause any more problems to the staff.

He was useless, he realized. His memory made him useless, and it was pointless to even try. That's what they were telling him. That's what everything was trying to tell him and he was just beginning to make sense of it. The world was against him, his own thoughts and nerves working against him. It was pointless. His head hurt, it felt like it was vibrating, a wasp trapped between his skull and the muscle that made his brain. Maybe there was. Maybe that wasp was really in there, stinging the parts of his brain that he needed. He had to get it out, he needed to get the buzzing fiend out of his head and kill it. Make it become silent and never bat it's thin wings again.

There, it was making its way out of his mouth. He could feel it crawling around his tongue and bumping into into his teeth. He could feel it chatter and debate whether it should sting. Maybe it would, there was nothing that could stop it from ramming the poisonous thorn down into the muscle. He crushed it. He bit down hard onto his tongue to kill the pest, and was met with pain and the sharp tang of blood. _Fuck._ There had been no crunch, but the buzzing continued. It was there, it had never left his brain. It wouldn't leave him.

The ride back was long and unpleasant for Vlad. He didn't want to answer any of the questions directed at him, he just wanted to get his damn hands taken care of. The woman talking wasn't comforting in the least, and it was bordering annoying. He would have hit her if she wasn't driving, or if his hands weren't bleeding. But that was the case, and he could do nothing about it now. "Would you kindly shut your mouth?" It quickly became silent as he stared out the window, the snow blending everything together into a large mass of white. His cheek throbbed as blood pulsed at the long cut, daring to leak through.

He was helped inside, women and men rushing to check over him and make sure he was fine. He wasn't, but that didn't stop him from waving them off. Vlad badly wanted to see his little badger, to make sure the boy was alright. But he was quickly pushed into a separate room with a unfamiliar doctor. No. Daniel was already in there, getting his own stitches. What had happened while he was gone? He was sat down beside the boy, forced to watch the process of the suturing. According to the doctor he had bit into the tongue while experiencing hallucinations, creating deep wounds. Daniel glanced over at Vlad, worry in his eyes. No, he didn't need his little badger to worry about him. That wasn't his job, why didn't he understand that?

Vlad met his eye and gave him a long level look. Maybe Daniel would understand the situation and know not to worry. "It's not nearly as bad as you think, little badger." The concerned gaze said different. He must look like a wreck. Well, he had been in one, so that was probably it. He was relieved that the boy couldn't speak, couldn't make some kind of retort or some worried frenzy of words. Vlad refused to have a broken boy worry for him, even if it was satisfying to see that worry. Even though that flood of warmth was caused by that concern. Soon he was stitched up, and ready to go. He turned to say something to the older man, but he as sat down in the corner.

Danny watched the man remove the glass slowly, his eyes following every slight movement. But then he caught on Vlad's face. It was scrunched into a painful expression as the tweezers dug around under his flesh. His heart ached for the man, this was his fault. He had caused the accident by being a problem. He was just a form of distraction. Harmful distraction. Danny's chest tightened, their eyes meeting over the bent physician. Cobalt orbs begged Danny not to look, but he did. He looked at the now unbandaged hands and realization dawned on him. They were ragged. The skin having never healed properly from the washing.

Was the pink from the blood or was that, was that his skin? Danny became sick, seeing the sores and the long streaks of yellow, fingers too brutalized to do much anymore. He knew now. He knew why he wore the gloves and why he was worried. Why he didn't want Danny to touch him, why he had worn those gloves even during the night, even during the meal. Why he insisted that Danny must keep his hands clean. He understood. And that feeling crashed down on top of him, smothering him and drowning him. He shouldn't feel this way, why did he feel like this? Why was such an intense amount of pain felt for this man? This man who had touched him in the night when he had asked him to stop. No, no Vlad saw. What expression had he been making?

Horror, Vlad had seen horror on young Daniel's young face. Disgust. He, he had expected the boy to understand, to be accepting of his major flaw. But he hadn't expected for him to find out like this, to see him in this state. The room was deadly silent as the doctor pulled the flesh together carefully, making sure everything was clean. No, he would never be clean. The doctor didn't realize that. "While this heals, you can't be so rough on your hands. I suggest the boy there does the cleaning and bandaging for you, as I have recommended several times to lower the frequency of your cleaning habits." Vlad stared. No, no he couldn't ask him to do it. He was terrified of just seeing them. Vlad tried to speak out, but he was hushed quickly by the man. As if he was a child again.

"Will you do it?" Danny stared at him. He stared and stared. Vlad was looking at him, begging him silently to say no, to just pretend like he had seen nothing. This man had helped him, he needed to help him in return right? No, he wasn't right upstairs. But he could do something physical. He could help, he wanted to. He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Vlad's face. Betrayal, there was the look of someone betrayed in his eyes. He would have said it, to make it real and to bring it to life, but those dream like qualities never seemed to leave Danny's reality. "Perfect, then I'll give you the list of responsibilities," the man talked and talked, writing out a list of things needed to be done, and their careful instructions.

They were both made to leave the room, a strong tension between them. Things were different now, Daniel knew his secret. He knew why he was always hiding them away. A tense silence surrounded them, waiting to be broken by words. Anything, anything would be better than this silence. "Do... Do you want to know why? Why my hands are like this?" Vlad's voice was ragged, tired. He wanted to close his eyes and take a long nap. But he couldn't, not with this feeling between them. He needed to get it off his chest. He hadn't told anyone why. But this boy, this boy might understand if he knew. A part of him wished Daniel wouldn't care. But another, larger part of him needed it, to get this heavy weight away from his heart.

Daniel looked at him for what felt like eternity, adrenaline pumping through his veins. What if he rejected him? What if his little badger never looked at him the same way? The newly broken silence was disturbed yet again. "Yeah. I want to know, I really do," his speech was slurred due to the numbing medicine, but it was understandable. A sigh of relief tore from Vlad's throat, that weight becoming a bit lighter. He would listen, his little badger would listen to him.

"Then you'll want to sit down... It's... A very long story," Vlad led Danny through the darkening halls, catching a maid on the way and asking for dinner to be brought to the room. It might take hours. Danny would be patient. He had to do something to help.


	10. Vlad

That first day Vlad's father had been found playing piano in the school hallway, that was when it began. His mother had fallen so in love with that beautiful music, the soft press of the keys to form something long and charming. She had adored his playing, the way his fingers danced across the white stairs to oblivion. He could play forever and ever, his love for the woman and his child bursting in each note. His father had loved them so much, and he spent many nights sending Vlad to sleep while playing. It was calming, watching his digits flit across the keys. His wife loved it even more so, begging him to play whenever he got home from his draining job. Despite being exhausted to his very core, he would always smile, pat Vladdy on the head, and began to play.

Maybe that was what the problem had been. His father's need to please his partner and son formed into an obsession. Not his obsession, but _hers._ _Keep playing dear, you don't want to make me sad now do you?_ Every day those words left her thin lips, the lines curling into a small smile. She just watched, stared at the fingers pressing the keys. Vlad was never allowed to touch that piano, even though he wanted to see. See if he could make the same noises his father could make, so that his mother could smile at him. He would be caught by her, just reaching out to pull a note from the monster of an instrument, then be beat. No, no he mustn't touch the piano. It was his father's, he should know better.

Then the scrubbing. She'd make Vlad scrub after every meal, before bed, after he woke up, so on and so forth. She had been a clean freak, but his father, his father could be covered in grime and she would let him. She'd let him roll around in their bed with mud splashed onto his coveralls. She'd kiss his grubby cheeks and ask him to play. That was the daily routine. Nothing his father did was wrong, even when he let a wild dog into the house for Vlad to play with. His father would want to play in the mud outside, but his mother would never allow him to go out. _Best not to get dirty,_ she'd say, _your father just wants you to be sullied._ He would stare out at the large man playing in the mud, stare at the hand that waved for him to come down, to disobey his mother. He knew he shouldn't, so he never did.

That man had been the light of both of their lives. He was their everything, bringing joy into the home, his dirty fingers slipping into Vlad's hair and tangling it. Just to get a rise from his mother. His big booming laugh would shake the whole entire house, waking it and filling it with life. His music, putting it into a gentle waterfall of sleep. But one day, it stopped. He never came back from his work, his mother sobbing painful tears each waking moment. Vlad never understood, she refused to tell him. She refused to let him touch anything that was his father's, screaming that he would dirty it. That his grime would spread and black out his father's essence.

The new rule came. A tight and constricting rule, one that included physically beating the poor boy. Without his father, there was no one to reign in his mother's anger and calm her, no one to lighten her mood and make her laugh. All that pent up rage was let out on him, screaming and hitting, knives being thrown. His only getaway was school, and even then he was never safe. Bullies crawled out of nowhere, picking Vlad as the official victim. Even he was unable to tell where the cuts and bruises came from, unable to tell apart which was his mother and which was the boys. He'd get home, his house dead silent. She'd walk out and see the new wounds, growing soft and comforting him.

When she'd ask where they came from, he would never tell. If he told, the bullies wouldn't be safe. Yes, they hurt him, but he didn't want them to get hurt themselves. He had already made that mistake, and the kid had never shown back up to school. There were still missing flyers and pictures on milk cartons. He was her punching bag, her forever clean punching bag. And he would never be anybody else's. Once he hit sophomore year, that was when she grew tired of the silence. She wanted him to play, to play music for her like his father once had. It wasn't an option. He had never had a choice in the matter. He didn't have any choice when she asked him to wash his hands before touching the keys. He didn't get to decide how long he needed to scrub.

Every day he would play those same notes, over and over again. It was hard to learn how to play piano, but to play it with bruised and scabbed fingers was a different matter entirely. Playing without proper instructions doubly so. It was an entirely different layer of hell. One that was designed perfectly for him, one where he could only escape if his mother died. And she wouldn't, that old hag would live until he himself died, and then she would take his soul. But he loved her, she was his mother and he wanted her love so bad, why wouldn't she look at him with kindness in her eyes? Why did it feel as if everyone wanted him gone?

Habits soon took their form, a growing fear for germs overtaking his life. He couldn't touch his meals without cringing, the feeling of beetles crawling and pinching under his skin. Bumping into people made his skin tighten, and he began to wear long sleeve shirts, long pants that covered his ankles. If there was any dirt on him, his mother would yell. She would shout and kick and lock him in his room for hours, forcing him to memorize sheet music. She would ask why his hands weren't like his father's. She would sob and lay there in a pile on the floor, screaming at nothing. _Why, why aren't his hands like his?!_ She hated him, and he couldn't fix it.

Long nights filled with scrubbing, blood filling a sink and long blisters forming and caking around his knuckles and palms. It hurt, but he had to keep them clean. If he didn't, he'd get hit. And then she would cry, and he hated her crying. He just wanted her to smile again and to laugh, to love life. His fingers didn't move quite right, but they hadn't before anyways. He could never hit the right keys, his hands would slip and pound without meaning to. He didn't have control over it, his hands. They just, they just didn't work. He missed his dad.

The week leading up to his graduation was hectic. Vlad had been planning to leave for a long time, much longer than anyone had been expecting. He had this friend, Jack, who had successfully convinced him to go to the University of Wisconsin with him. Jack had made him believe that he was better than this, he didn't deserve any of the stuff that was happening to him. He was amazing and nothing could ever change that. He was understanding. The night before his graduation, he had everything packed, and his mother would never know.

Until she came into his room. Her eyes. Lord, her eyes were filled with flames. As if she was the devil herself. Vlad was pinned, his hands grabbed and crushed like beatles beneath a boot. She had never done that, she had never outright grabbed his hands. She clawed and bit, forcing his hands into places where he would never have put them. Never in this life, or any other. The beetles were crawling again, tearing under his skin and biting down roughly into the nerves. Everything was still vivid in his now forty year old mind. He remembered every breath and scream from his mother. The uncomfortable feeling of her flesh against his.

When she was finally done, done with him and everything that had just happened, she left. She left him in a bloody and half naked pile, curled up against the wall. That last touch, her cradling his head and kissing it, stayed with him. It haunted him once in awhile, nightmares forming from bits of the memory. That was the last time he saw her. He didn't know whether or not she was alive anymore, and he didn't care. He had never deserved what she did, he had never deserved that last night. He was far superior to her. But that next day, it was filled with tears and comfort. A familiar large man holding him and telling him everything was fine. The drive began.

When Vlad had finished recounting his childhood, the room was left in a gentle silence. A fire flickered beside them, the soft crackling comforting. Danny searched the older man's face, hoping to find at least a hint of anger about his mother. There was nothing, only a sad hopelessness, a look of someone who had never fully been given back after being owned. He slowly reached out, his hand gently covering the bandages there. Wide eyes met his, and he could feel the muscles tense, the want to tear his hand away and never been touched again. Please, please let him just have this one chance to comfort him. He didn't know how else to do it.

A name had stuck though, the one name that Vlad had cared to name. Jack. Why was that name so familiar? The name burning at his brain and curling its tendrils, burying them into the tissue. His head hurt like shit, why was he stuck on himself right now? He needed to focus on Vlad, to let him understand that he himself understood. Danny looked at the fingers peeking through the bandages. "They're beautiful you know... your hands. Even though you're a crazy fruit loop, even with all of those scars," there was a sharp intake of breath. Water dripped onto the table and Danny saw, he watched as the tears began to rain down. A storm behind his dark eyes.

Vlad cried. He cried for the first time since the trip to Wisconsin, and he couldn't stop crying. A flood of tears, ones that hadn't been released in years, were finally released. The dam broken. He felt warm arms surround him, hesitant, but warm and comforting. It was embarrassing, embarrassing to be crying in front of someone 23 years younger than him. It didn't matter right now, he was just lost. His little badger, he had called his hands beautiful. Even though he knew, he knew that they weren't. That they would never be beautiful like his father's, or like Daniel's. Daniel knew this and he still said it. Why was he lying to him?

He was clinging to Danny for dear life, but he knew he needed it. This man needed the comfort that he hadn't received in years. The dinner that was brought to them was left untouched on the table, having grown cold from the many hours that passed. The food was unimportant. They could go without a meal. His long fingers slipped into Vlad's messy silver bun, gently rubbing circles into his scalp. It was almost like repayment for the previous night. That was intended to be comforting, and this, this had the same purpose. Danny would stay the whole night through with him, until his... No. Not his. He wouldn't think of this creepy older man as his. He would stay until the the crazy fruit loop calmed down. That was the least he could do.


	11. Pianos are the Devil's Playthings

The days that followed were hard. Not in the sense that it was miserable, but because Danny was trying to grow used to the caretaking process. It was difficult, trying to get Vlad to willingly let Danny wash his hands for him. He was extremely gentle for the first time in his life, massaging the tense nerves and pressing light kisses to the cut up knuckles. Danny hated touching his lips to the man, hated having to be so caring. He kept telling himself that he didn't want to do this, that the gentle touches were meant to comfort the man and nothing more. His strange thoughts became more frequent, the hallucinations starting to become constant. Danny kept silent, not wanting to worry the man who had taken him in.

It had been a little past two weeks since Danny was brought in from the cold. It felt like months, really long months that just refused to end. It felt as if he had been stuck in winter forever. Maybe he had been, maybe this snow that encased the home was permanent, maybe they had died and were left in eternity. Stuck until everything ended. It became hard to pay attention as Vlad spoke on the phone with some sucker. Danny had been sitting on this couch for who knows how long. He wanted to move and get some form of exercise in, even though he knew that he'd quickly grow tired. It just seemed like he could never get enough sleep. He couldn't seem to keep his eyes open, even now.

Vlad glanced over at the young boy sprawled out on the couch. Daniel was snoring softly, his perfect fingers draped over his pale face. He would always find his eyes focused on them, whenever they cleaned his own hands or whenever his little badger would mess with his hair. He heard the person on his call repeat something, waiting for his answer. Letting out a long sigh, he began to refocus on the subject matter. He could think about young Daniel later, when he wasn't sleeping so peacefully and adorably. No, not adorable. He wasn't anywhere near adorable. _Stop, stop thinking like that. It was one time. You were only trying to distract him._ Focus. He needed to focus.

He couldn't though. He couldn't seem to focus as he thought about the rebandaging process. How Daniel was always entangled in the moment, paying utmost attention to what he was doing. He was so gentle with Vlad's hands, never forcing them to do anything they shouldn't. But his little badger would kiss them, and his heart would stop. He would treat them so lovingly, softly patting them dry and applying whatever it was that he needed to. It was almost like the boy enjoyed it, like he really was kissing them with something other than comfort. He wasn't. He needed to stop thinking like this, it was creating problems. It was hard to even look at Daniel when he he was on this train of thought.

Burning, Danny's dreams were constantly filled with burning. And as time went on, the reason why became less obvious. What was the name of the heat that engulfed him? That glowing heat that he inhaled and took over his lungs? Danny couldn't remember. Everything was slowly fading until there was only the flicker of warmth. Flames, that's what they were called. What he was standing in was fire. Why the hell didn't he realize that before? But when he took a step backward, his heel came into contact with something. Something that he couldn't get his foot out of. He tugged at his leg, trying to hurry away from the flames. Wait. Just what was he stuck in? He dared to look, then screeched in horror.

The charred remains of someone, he couldn't tell, he could just barely see the person underneath. Why the hell was he here? Why was this person here? He held back a gag, unaware of his body convulsing outside of his dreamworld. He was sweating badly, fear taking hold of him. He had to get out, but there was no exit. Just four walls with nothing on them. He was trapped in the flame by the body and he couldn't get out. His breath became shallow as the smoke filled his lungs. Coughing, he was coughing badly as he laid down. Maybe if he slept, he'd be fine. He wouldn't have to deal with this anymore.

Danny was roughly being shaken back to the waking realm. What the hell? Why were they so worried? His eyes slowly opened to a familiar face, silver hair tickling his nose. What was his name again? His brow furrowed as the man slowly stopped shaking him. "Daniel, are you alright? You were screaming again..." He trailed off, worry painted clearly on his face. Had he been screaming? Danny frowned as he fumbled with the name, wondering what it was. He didn't seem to remember as much as he used to. Vlad, that's it. Why was he so upset? They should be used to this by now.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it you fruit loop." Vlad watched Daniel sit up and stretch, his eyes out of focus and staring into nothingness. "Can we do something other than sitting in here," Daniel's eyes refocused and glared at him tiredly,"Because it's getting boring." He sighed with relief, glad that the boy could at least speak. Glad that the boy was there enough to glare.

"I don't see why it wouldn't hurt. I've been waiting to take you to the piano room," Vlad smiled sheepishly as he stood by the door. He had been wanting Daniel to play since he healed up. The look on his little badger's face said different though. The boy clearly didn't want to go anywhere near a piano. Not after what he had learned. Although he didn't understand why, didn't Daniel want to help him? That's what he had been saying.

Danny couldn't help but frown at the man's option. Vlad was correct about him not wanting to go near the room, and he was right about the reason. It felt like some way to conjure up Vlad's mother and bring her back to life. He didn't like the idea of the woman, even if he had never met her. He didn't feel like Vlad should be anywhere near a piano, but that didn't stop him from getting up and walking to the man. Anything was better than sleeping right now, because sleeping meant fire and forget.

Vlad was trembling, with, who knows? Maybe excitement, maybe anxiousness? Danny couldn't really tell, worried about the meanings behind either one. He had to make sure the man wouldn't have a breakdown. If he was focusing on Vlad, he could remember. His job was easy, he just had to keep Vlad distracted and do what the fruit loop asked, according to the doctor. Luckily, the creep hadn't asked anything weird of him. And he had yet to change the clothes for him. Things were going smooth, so, maybe the piano wouldn't hurt. It was the first real thing that Vlad had asked him to do.

However, that feeling of slight unease grew ten fold when Danny sat at the piano. He had absolutely no clue how to play, worry washing over him. What if Vlad had some of his mother in him? What if when he got something wrong, Vlad would get just as angry? But when Vlad sat beside him on the bench, he let off calm and patience. The exact opposite of what he was worrying about. Okay, okay he could calm down. It might not be so bad. He listened to Vlad's advice with little to no comments. He didn't want to fight the older man on the issue.

It took around two hours for Daniel to learn all of the keys and their names. It would probably take the boy several hours to even understand how to read sheet music. Vlad felt a small bundle of frustration make its way into being. No, no he wouldn't force the boy like his own mother did. He wasn't her, he was different. He kept telling himself that as he showed Daniel a small melody, asking the boy to try it out. His fingers swiftly pressed the keys in the same order, the nails shining in the light.

They were perfect, beautiful as pearls. If they could learn any tune, hopefully they would play it for Vlad. He reached out and took Daniel's fingers in his own. He received an alarmed look from the boy and a small struggle to pull away. "Vlad, hey what are you doing? Didn't I play it right?" He didn't respond, leaning in much closer than he should have. When had he ended up behind the boy, their backs flushed together? He couldn't stop rubbing his little badger's knuckles, even if the movements were ginger and slow. "H-Hey fruitloop, what's up with you? You're really close..." Maybe he was like his mother, just a little bit.

Danny struggled as Vlad's grip slowly tightened. Okay, he could deal with this. He must have just played something wrong and the guy was just trying to help out. Yep. that was definitely it. Hot breath ghosted over his sensitive ear and the hair on the back of his neck raised. Now he was squirming for a different reason. He tried to bend away so that Vlad's lips weren't so close to the soft flesh. "Little badger, you pressed several wrong keys..." Vlad gently moved Danny's fingers to the correct notes, pressing them down slowly and firmly. Danny frowned, he had pressed those keys, maybe Vlad just didn't hear it right. That wasn't it, and he knew it deep down.

Why was the fruit loop still so close to him? He froze up as warm lips pressed against that spot below his ear, the mouth that owned them parting a bit. Vlad was still moving his hands, acting as if nothing was happening. A blush creeped up Danny's cheeks, Vlad slowly instructing him while pressed to his cold skin. That ticklish feeling was irritating him, wishing he would just move away already. What if he pressed his teeth down into the spot instead? Sucking roughly and nipping away at the flesh? Like that one night? Danny grew redder and the lips finally pulled away. What on Earth was he thinking?

"Did you get any of that Daniel? Why on Earth are you so distracted?" His voice quickly threw Daniel back into the present, that delightful red dusted across his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He fought back a grin, forcing himself to glare at his little badger. He was too cute, and surely the boy had noticed how his breathing had quickened, how he reacted from Vlad's touch. He only received a glare. God, how he was staring to love those multi-colored eyes.

"But you just fucking- It's kind of hard to focus when someone is..." Danny only got a confused look in return. Had, had he been imagining that too? Was he even going to hallucinate stuff like that? It wasn't fair, why was this kind of stuff happening to him? He could've sworn that Vlad had been- maybe he was actually going crazy, like for real crazy. What was wrong up there? The buzzing began again, like the wasp was back to life.

That troubled face, Vlad almost enjoyed it. Fudge bars, who was he kidding? He did enjoy it, nearly loved it. Something about that lost look in his eye, it was delectable. _Tantalizing_. Stop it, why was he thinking like that? That wasn't right, it wasn't okay to make the boy get lost in his own thoughts again. His little badger hated it, even though he acted like it was never happening. Vlad could see how troubled he was, he wanted to help him, but something inside him wanted Daniel to drown in it. To get lost in that feeling of hopelessness and let Vlad take over. He had to quit thinking like that.

Still, Daniel was in a state that, if Vlad took advantage of it, he would never believe what happened. The perfect opportunity to do anything. Daniel could blame it on his hallucinations and Vlad could act like it was all imagined. His little badger was blabbering to himself, trying to make Vlad see that he was fine, there was nothing wrong. He had only been joking after all. Vlad stared at him and blocked out the titter. Why was the boy still lying about him seeing stuff? He was so lost between reality and fantasy that he couldn't even tell that Vlad had actually done it.

Danny stopped talking when the older man hushed him. "You clearly are going to get nowhere for the day, so your punishment for taking so long to learn is," Danny stared up in desperation. What did he mean get punished? It wasn't his fault he had no clue how to play the piano, "Your punishment is helping me bathe. I've had quite a bit of difficulty doing it with my hands all tied up." Oh God no. He was not helping him do that. Vlad was just trying to mess with him, but the look he gave him was serious. Fuck.

"T-There is no way I'm doing that, you fucking creep. Why don't you try asking someone else? You could literally get anyone else to do it," Danny glared angrily at the man. There was no way in hell that he would do that. Fuck what the doctor said, he wasn't doing it.

"I guess that you must really enjoy the cold," Vlad walked towards the door, his tone frosty as ice. What? Danny hurriedly got up, tripping over his feet. Wait wait, where was Vlad going? There was no way he was going to kick him out right? But as he followed the man, he realized that was definitely what he was implying. Words fumbled and fell out of his mouth rapidly, trying to catch the man by his shirt. He couldn't catch up, and his words wouldn't reach his ears.

The door to outside was thrown open, and Daniel was thrust out into it. Vlad could hear the shout of confusion and the pounding at the door. He would wait a little bit, just for the boy to get it into his head that he was the one in control, not Daniel. He could hear frustrated sobbing through the thick door. "It's for your own good, little badger. Don't cry."

Danny had given up on the door and he sat there, hugging his knees to his chest. It was freezing as fuck, his tears had turned into literal ice. It felt as if he had been here for hours, the blood in his veins slowing. Vlad might not let him back in, he probably wouldn't. There was no reason for him to keep Danny, anybody could be his replacement."Please, please let me in already... It's so goddamn cold.." He could hear growling in the dark, hungry for him. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to be devoured. The wolf was staring down at him, drool falling from its yellowed fangs. Its eyes blazing a hole into his head.

Vlad had had his fun, the door creaking open slowly. Light peered out onto the snow and Danny stared at the shadow in the doorway, quickly falling towards it. Fearful of the beast panting on his heels. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry..." He grabbed and successfully caught the bottom of his shirt. "Please let me back in, I'll do whatever you want..." He was hiccuping, sobbing like a huge ass child. His face was white, his lips beginning to turn that bluish color. "Please don't make me go back out there. It'll get me..."

With a frown, Vlad peeked out at the snow. There was nothing there. Maybe he shouldn't have made the child go out there. Even if this desperation was pleasing, "Daniel don't worry... I wouldn't let anything hurt you..." He wanted to be the only one to hurt young Daniel. It was almost like his mother. Part of her still lived in him, "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe little badger." Vlad pushed the door closed and hesitantly touched his hair. It was just as soft as silk. Amazing. "Are you going to help me bathe now?"

His face pressed into the side of Vlad's jeans, Danny offered a small nod. He hated the feeling of the fingers barely touching his hair. If he wanted to touch it, why didn't he just shove his whole hand in there? Why did Danny just want the full feeling of being touched? He stood slowly and sniffed, wiping his nose on the edge of his sleeve. He just wouldn't look. He had to help him bathe, but he didn't have to enjoy it.


	12. Showering with Someone Isn't Bueno

Vlad could practically hear the boy's heart stop as they entered the washroom. It was satisfying to see the realization hit young Daniel's face, only fully becoming aware that he would actually have to help Vlad clean himself. He could barely hold back a smirk, his heartbeat picking up as his little badger's breath hitched in his throat. _Oh peanut brittle,_ why was the boy so adorable? Even as he grit his teeth and glared hatefully up at Vlad with reddened and puffy eyes. Tear stained cheeks suit him very nicely.

His smirk slowly faded to a frown, the corners of his mouth deepening. Where had these sudden thoughts surfaced from? It almost frightened him, this boy was kind enough to listen and comfort Vlad. Why was there some part of him that wanted to push the boy down and make him hurt? To tear the sobs from his throat and gobble them up with his own lips? He was disturbed with himself, sickened. The itching pain began again, the feeling of fire ants colonizing in his veins.

He forced himself to make eye contact with Daniel, easily plastering a smirk to his face. He reached into the shower and turned it on, keeping eye contact. "Ready to undress me?" Why was he pushing the boy? It felt as if he had to keep up the act, as if he had to force himself to play his part. That wasn't true. Vlad would never admit that he enjoyed it, that he loved seeing his little badger torn.

"B-But, I... I have to?" Vlad could see that the boy knew the answer, and the consequences. He was about to open his mouth before Daniel violently shook his head. "Nevermind, I already know.. fucking creep..." He stood perfectly still, watching Daniel as he hesitantly stepped forward, his beautiful hands shaking. Each time he looked at his little badger, he found something new to get stuck on. The light freckles scattered along Daniel's cheeks visible in the lighting. He forgot how to breathe as their eyes met.

Danny fumbled with unbuttoning the fruit loop's shirt, his cheeks red from frustration and embarrassment. Why was he stuck doing this? No, he didn't want to go back outside. There was something out there, calling for him. Wanting to tear him apart. It wanted to hound him and tear his flesh from his bones. The older man before him though, it was almost like the beast outside. He didn't notice Vlad staring at him intently, trying to memorize his every freckle. With a soft sigh, he glanced up. Then froze.

Why was he staring at him like that? As if the man was staring at an angel? Danny couldn't move his head, staring into those endlessly dark blue eyes. Like the sea during a storm. Vlad wasn't unattractive, and if he had been in any other situation, he would be flattered by his attention. What would it be like to spend time with this man? If both of their lives hadn't gone awry? He could almost imagine sitting on his old couch. A strong arm around his shoulders and gently rubbing the lobe of his ear. Almost.

"Daniel, hello? How is space faring?" Danny snapped back to attention, his eyes quickly averting from Vlad's as he popped open the last button. He was about to apologize, or at least make some witty retort. Nothing came to mind. He could practically feel his face burning. What had he even been thinking? He was a fucking idiot. No doubt about it. Danny focused his eyes on the bare chest in front of him. Muscular and taut, scars riddling the tanned skin. Woah. He carefully helped Vlad get his arms through the sleeves, making sure his hands didn't have any unwanted pressure.

Vlad frowned again. Was the boy alright? There had been no comment, no biting remark. Just pure silence. Did he make the boy so uncomfortable that he couldn't even bring himself to yell at him? He was almost hurt. Where was his attention? On his chest apparently. Not like he noticed. "Daniel, just how slow are you going to make this? It's almost like you want to drag it out. Am I that attractive?"

Daniel sputtered and glared up at him, his face the color of a tomato. His pretty pink lips drew back into a sneer, his white teeth flashing brightly. "I would never think an old guy was attractive. Especially not one as creepy as you!" The boy grumbled and without any grace pulled Vlad's pants down to his ankles. "What the hell..." The boy mumbled to himself angrily as he glared at the ceiling. With a sharp tug, Vlad's boxers were off. Even Vlad blushed. Why in the world was he blushing? The great Vlad Masters did _not_ blush.

"Thank you my dear boy, but it seems as if you need to undress as well. Since you'll be washing me of course," Vlad watched him from the corner of his eye. A smirk slowly spreading across his face. Daniel's fumbling was delicious, his pink face contorting with mixed emotions. The boy couldn't even complain. If he did, he was at risk of being thrown out. Vlad grinned as he saw his little badger bite back an angry remark. He had to play along with Vlad, and if he didn't he could fake a breakdown. Maybe not fake. It might become a serious possibility.

Danny glared at him, turning his back to the man. "You better not look at me, sicko... I swear to God that if you do I'll call the cops." His voice wavered, knowing that he wouldn't. He wasn't going to give up warmth. Not to mention the fact that the cops would ask him questions. Ones that he wouldn't have answers to. Danny didn't want to risk possible jail time for things he couldn't even remember. He began to take off the red jacket that the older man had bought for him. It had quickly become his favorite, even if Vlad had gotten it for him. It was just so comfortable and it smelt like Vlad. Like a fiery cinnamon.

He didn't want it to seem like he was making a show for Vlad, but his hands were shaking so bad that he struggled with removing every piece of clothing. The whole time, he could feel those dangerous eyes staring into him, burning a hole into his back. Danny grew self conscious, worried he was much too thin. Could Vlad see his every rib? What if he thought he was disgusting and kicked him out for not being beautiful? He thought of the cold, a shiver running down his spine. Wait. It didn't matter. Why did it matter what Vlad thought of Danny? He was just some creepy and mentally ill old man.

However, when Danny turned around, Vlad was already in the shower. He had managed to get his bandages off himself. He hadn't even been looking at him? Was Danny that... unsatisfying? He stopped, confused with his own thoughts. Why was he so worried about this? Wasn't it good that he wasn't attracted to him? It meant that Vlad wouldn't touch him again. That was a good thing, right? But why did the thought of it make Danny hurt? He had always wanted to be wanted.

He must have taken too long, cemented to the spot by his racing thoughts. He only knew that too much time had passed because he heard that silky smooth voice call out from behind the lavish shower curtain. "Daniel, are you that frightened by a good cleaning? Don't be a scared kitten. The water won't hurt you and I promise not to bite." A soft chuckle danced through the air, Danny's cheeks flushing. He wasn't scared. Why the fuck would he be scared? With a soft growl, Danny inched his way into the shower.

"I'm not scared. I was just worried some old pervert would try to make a move. He's already fuckin' molested me." Vlad stiffened at the sudden venom in his words. Why had he even believed that the boy had forgotten? He had hoped so desperately that he had put it off as a dream, as one of his hallucinations. No, he still very much remembered.

"Little badger, I do not appreciate the swearing." Was that all he could say? Really? Frustration grabbed hold of Vlad, mentally kicking him for not addressing the issue. He wanted to pretend like it wasn't real. Like it didn't happen. But it had, and whenever he found himself thinking about it... He thought about it a lot. Making it much more pleasant than it had really been. That night had made it impossible to look at Daniel without something more. He had practically forced himself into the shower, trying not to stare at the boy's smooth back. It was like the color of cream.

"Would you mind washing my hair, my boy? It hurts my hands quite badly to do it myself." He wasn't lying. It had been extremely difficult doing it himself for the past couple of days. Vlad really did need the help. He heard the grumble behind him and blinked when he was gently forced down to Daniel's level. A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips, having not expected the boy to willingly do anything. He appreciated Daniel. He really did.

He wasn't expecting gentleness. His little badger made his touches soft, massaging the soap reassuringly into his scalp. Why was he so kind in his actions? It was always a sharp contrast to his harsh words, and even when he spat venom he was soft and caring. Why? Vlad's eyes began to close, the gentle washing lulling him into some form of relaxation. Those perfect fingers were buried in his hair, playing with the locks and paying special attention to his temples. He hummed lowly, tunelessly. The hand's stalled for a moment, running gently over a scar at the nape of his neck. "What's this from?" A soft voice gently shook Vlad back into reality.

Danny stared down at the angry red scar, his dark brows furrowed. It seemed so fresh, almost painful looking. "Does it hurt?" He ran his thumb along it, watching as the discoloration followed the pressure. There was silence, causing Danny to worry that his question had been too personal. A tired sigh came from the man slouched over. He didn't realize he had woken the man from a state of near sleep.

"I'll tell you if you tell me how you got that scar. The one on the back of your head. I noticed it while your hair was being touched up." He frowned and reached back, feeling for the scar that Vlad was talking about. He didn't know that there was a scar, even though it had been sensitive when the razor got near it. He touched it, fire flashing before his eyes and the feeling of heat rising up around him. Smothering him, it felt as if smoke was smothering him. He remembered a loud explosion, the crack as his head hit the wood floor. He winced, his face scrunching in pain.

Why was there a fire? What on Earth happened? His breathing became shallow as he looked around him. Vlad seemed to fade away from existence, being replaced by the body of a red haired girl. No, no why was she here? Again? It felt as if his skin was melting, his lungs restricting. Terror washed over him in waves, his eyes darting around. There was no way to escape, nothing could save him. "H-Help... I don't want to die..."

Vlad was shaking him frantically, worry bursting from his very being. "Daniel, Daniel there is no fire! Calm down, please breathe," the boy was choking on his own air. His whole body shook violently, his eyes trained on something past Vlad. He was mumbling frantically to himself, digging his nails into his arms. How could he help? Vlad had no clue how to help. _Peppermint patties! Why am I so useless?!_ He pulled the boy into a gentle hug, hoping that it would bring the boy back to his senses. His trembling rough hands ran down Daniel's freezing back, wincing at the feeling of making contact with someone.

Slowly, the boy calmed down. Tears mixed with water as they held each other under the faucet. Vlad looked at him worriedly, glad to see that he was fine. He kissed his nose, his cheeks, his quivering lips. Why? Why was he doing this? Vlad lifted a hesitant hand, forcing himself to cradle Daniel's head. "You're safe. Don't worry..."

When Danny came to, he was pinned up against the shower wall. He gasped in confusion and surprise, the feeling of rough and scarred hands running over his stomach. They were touching him. Oh god, was Vlad touching him? Actually touching him? His breathing, already unnatural, became a series of ragged gasps. Lips pressed to his neck, nipping up to his ear. He reached up, digging his nails into Vlad's shoulders. Why was he touching him? Had Danny asked him again? To do this? He flushed badly.

Danny had no clue that his nails were causing Vlad to have fits, the feeling of his fingers practically making the man go crazy. Vlad's heavy breaths not giving the boy any hint of what he was doing. His hands ran up into the man's hair, desperate for a sense of reality. Real. He was real. Danny knotted his fingers there, pulling slightly with each suck and bite. They were both gasping. Danny wanted to make sure that Vlad was there, that he himself was here. Vlad, wanting to make sure that Danny stayed in the moment and didn't go back into his mind. His terrible unforgiving mind.

He smashed his lips into Vlad's, desperate for attention. Vlad complied, lost in the touches the boy gifted him with. Neither remembered how it had begun, how they got into this state of panicky touches. They broke apart, Danny's lips swollen and red from the ferocity of it. His hips bucked into Vlad's thigh, a soft sigh escaping his lips. He was aching, his dick having gotten hard from all of the stimulation. He wasn't in his right mind, if he was, he would be forcing Vlad away. Everything was foggy as they gazed at each other, Danny unable to stop rutting against his leg.

Vlad could barely breathe, staring down in wonder at the boy. He was grinding against his leg, trying to get off on the friction alone. He felt himself grow harder, his breath hitching in his throat. Lord help him. He wanted to touch him more, but he couldn't. The fire ants were threatening him. They wanted to crawl out from under his fingertips. Vlad focused back on the boy, seeing the beautiful eyes half-lidded. The boy was close, his breathing growing quicker and more frantic.

He quickly pulled away. There was a low whine of complaint, Daniel panting up at him. "I have a favor to ask of you, little badger," Vlad cooed softly as he made sure to stay out of arm's reach. The boy looked at him, his normally bright eyes glazed over. He had his full attention on the man before him. "Will you touch yourself for me? I want to see how you would do it before you came here..." The request elicited a confused and frustrated squeak from the boy.

"N-No, there is no way in hell... No way.. I'm not doing that shit... E-Especially not for you... fucking fruitloop..." The boy's breaths came out as raspy moans, trying to keep himself from touching his growing need. Danny fought back his whimpers, choking them down. He couldn't stop his hands from rubbing his thighs needily. Vlad raised a silver eyebrow, amused that his request brought Daniel back to himself somewhat. Hadn't the boy been about to bring himself to an end on Vlad's thigh just moments before?

"If you don't, I can throw you back outside and let you stay there. I won't be able to let you back in." Danny quickly froze, his fingers twitching. Vlad wasn't bluffing, he could tell. The idea of facing the beast outside worried him, his thoughts jumbling together. He chewed at his bottom lip, drawing a small amount of blood. "Come on little badger, I swear I won't look if that's what's bothering you." He was lying, blatantly lying to his face. Danny glared up at him in disbelief, causing the man to chuckle. "You can close your eyes and I'll close mine? Deal?"

Danny nodded slowly in agreement, trying to build up the willpower to do it. He knew the man would watch. It almost made him excited. "Just do what you usually do Daniel..."

"S-Shut it you pompous ass...! I can't focus if.. if your ugly ass voice is in my brain!" He snarled in frustration, squeezing his multi-colored eyes shut. If he didn't look, itt'd be fine. All he had to do was pretend that Vlad wasn't there. Danny's hand inched slowly towards his neck. Bite marks and small bruises littered the pale flesh. His long fingers squeezed hard, stars bursting behind his eyelids. His breaths came out in harsh wheezes, trying to cut off as much of the airflow as possible. This was his process, and he had been unable to get off without it.

His other hand slowly slid down, flicking his slit with a choked sigh. It was nerve-wracking, feeling Vlad's eyes on him. They followed his every movement, he could feel it. He wanted to please the man for some reason, to turn the man on like he had been. No, he didn't want to do this. He was being forced, he had no choice. Vlad was giving him no choice.

Daniel's hands were gorgeous, his nails glittering prettily as they dug into his pale neck. They drew blood. This was really how the boy did it? What a _dirty_ little badger. Vlad sat back, wanting to enjoy the show. His dark eyes roamed hungrily down his body, focusing on Daniel's main interest. _Cookie crisps,_ even _there_ was beautiful. Daniel's fingers were slick and making quick work of his frustrating arousal. Vlad wanted to reach out, to help him over the edge. No, he'd be sullied. He wouldn't touch. He would die before touching it, even if it was beautiful.

Vlad's face grew red as Daniel's soft pants filling the air. His little badger was so into it, lost in the pleasure. His back arched and his toes curled from the sensations. He couldn't help it. He leaned in close, his lips barely touching the boy's ear. "I bet that feels so good... I bet you want to cum for me. You want me to see it..." Daniel flushed even more, his grip tightening on his throat. Another moan slipped past his lips. His face was growing a gorgeous shade of purple.

"Do it, my pretty little badger... I want to see your face. Imagine it's me, my hand on your throat," his words had a noticeable effect. Daniel seemed to be brought closer, his hand losing its rhythm and becoming erratic. The boy was letting out soft cries, finding it hard to focus from the lack of air. Vlad's name slipped out a few times. He continued to whisper, nipping softly at the boy's sensitive lobe. It was over within seconds, Daniel squirming and crying out as it hit him. Vlad watched as his little badger's seed was slowly washed down the drain. "You did so good..." He softly kissed the top of his head.

After the cool down, Danny breathed shallowly. His throat hurt every time he swallowed, dark purple finger marks like violent gashes. He looked up at Vlad, begging for his approval silently. The man didn't look at him, acting as if it had never happened. "I need you to finish washing me, little badger. We never got past my hair." Danny's face fell, using the wall to help himself back up. He thought... He thought he had done okay? No. He was humiliated. His ears glowed bright red as anger took over, a scowl forming. He would never forgive Vlad. No matter what.


	13. Can You Shut the Hell Up!

Danny eyes snapped open from his nightmare, quickly sitting up as his brows furrowed. His breath slowed and he looked around suspiciously. There was no one there, even though he could feel it. He could feel _something._ It was there at the very edge of his vision, threatening to get close. No. Danny wasn't going to be scared off by some imaginary force. He placed his feet on the cold ground, pushing himself up. His head was pounding with a fury. It seemed to hit him worse after he woke up.

The boy stood there in his thin pajamas, glaring at the darkness. "It isn't funny Vlad. What the hell are you doing in my room?" There was no response, but Danny could clearly see the figure standing in the corner. Why the hell wasn't the fruit loop answering? He stepped forward, holding himself tight. His nails dug into the soft fabric of his night shirt. "Seriously, you creep... I-It isn't funny," the figure stepped forward. Danny couldn't see his face. His skin prickled, the hair on the back of his neck raising.

He couldn't deal with this right now. Vlad was just being a huge jackass. That was all it was. "H-Hey come on... You're, you're really creeping me out." His frown turned to a scowl, wondering if the man had been spying on him. He wouldn't expect any less at this point. The fruit loop seemed to really enjoy watching him. Danny became frustrated as he took another step to the tall leaning form. He would teach the guy a lesson. What he was doing was just, so, uncomfortable.

Danny pushed him angrily, and squeaked out as his wrists were grabbed tightly. The hands were cold. They were absolutely freezing and it felt like the ice was slipping into Danny's veins. No, it wasn't Vlad. Vlad was burning hot and his hands were the opposite of smooth. And they were gentle. This man wasn't gentle. He began to squirm roughly, trying to escape the vice-like grip. "F-Fucking let me down goddammit! Let go!" There was a growl as he was slammed into the wall.

Fear was starting to take over, his body screaming for him to run. He couldn't. His legs weren't working. Danny tried to scream, finding his voice didn't work either. Sharp nails dug into his jaw and forced his mouth open. What the fuck was this guy doing?! He became frantic as he kicked out. The man paid him no mind, sliding his free hand onto the back of his head. Danny whimpered as the claws found the soft skin of the scar, then let out a weak cry as they began digging into the bulging flesh.

 _Oh my god,_ lord almighty it hurt him so bad. Tears began to flow as the fingers dug into his skull. His head was vibrating like a hornet's nest, threatening to explode. Why was he doing this? What had Danny done to deserve this? A scream tore from his throat as the fingers centralized on a certain point, squeezing hard. The buzzing crashed into a crescendo, his vision flashing white from the pain. A pale face seemed to grin at him through the blur, taunting him.

He couldn't think. Couldn't hear. All there was, was the painful roaring in his head. Danny aimlessly hit at the hand pressed to his skull. It felt as if the hand was melting into his flesh, freezing everything it touched. The cold seeped in, the frost painful and burning. Stop, he wanted it to stop. Why wouldn't the man stop? His face contorted into several things. It became womanly and warm, purple eyes flashing through. But that look twisted into so many other expressions and shades. Everything looked so familiar.

It took so much effort to raise his head, battling through the deafening noise in his ears. It never let up. Danny felt it when the fingers slid out of his head. Warmth was slowly returning and he forced himself to look at the man. Or was it a woman? Maybe it was neither. Maybe it was a demon come to destroy his life even more. He wouldn't doubt it. It seemed like the man up in the sky was toying with him constantly. He was meant to be dead. This demon was only trying to push him to the edge.

However, when he opened his eyes, no one was there. The room was completely silent other than Danny's pounding heart. He was still in bed, having never stood up. He breathed heavily, his fingers fumbling for the scar at the back of his head. It was fine, he wasn't bleeding or anything. A soft whine of confusion and fear slipped from his throat. He couldn't take this any longer.

Vlad opened his eyes to the worried teenager shaking him. He groaned softly and batted at the boy, trying to make him stop. "Daniel, it's three in the morning... Why in the name of fudge have you woken me up?" His little badger hadn't talked to him after their shower, resulting in two days of near silence. He was about to click his tongue and chide him, then stopped when he saw his face. He had been crying, his soft blue eye dull while his bright green still shone like a star.

The poor thing still let tears fall down his reddened cheeks. "Can I sleep with you...? I-I mean... I just..." He was trying so hard not to break down. Vlad could hear it in his voice even if he was struggling to keep his eyes closed. He didn't allow the boy to stumble over his words, groggily pulling the boy down onto the soft mattress. The boy let out a soft _oomph_ and laid stiffly beside the man.

"I won't bite, calm down," Vlad mumbled and held him close. He was pressed to the boy's back, his strong arm gently rested on his waist. He could feel the soft grumble from the boy. Vlad looked at the blushing ears and sighed. He would probably be nibbling at them right now if he wasn't so damn tired. Slowly, the boy relaxed and pressed himself into the man's chest. He closed his eyes and buried his face in Daniel's soft hair. The boy was shaking just barely under his touch.

He rubbed soft circles into his hip, his fingers shaking uncontrollably from being forced to really move. The boy smelt so wonderful, his skin reminiscent of warm vanilla. Vlad hummed softly as he drifted into the darkness of sleep.

Vlad woke up to an elbow in his face and soft snoring. With a groan, he rolled away from the boy and buried his nose into the closest pillow. When had the boy gotten into his bed? He couldn't remember. He stretched, grumbling tiredly to himself. It wasn't his fault if the boy was upset. He was sure that Daniel had asked to sleep with him anyways. Vlad slid out of the bed and silently made his way to his drawers.

It took him awhile to get out of his shirt. He hadn't been this tired in days and his hands ached from the cold. They were almost fully healed but the nerves. They had somehow become even more messed up. They began to shake badly as he pulled out a sweater. He felt eyes on his back and he paused, wanting to make some kind of snarky comment. He bit his lip hard to keep from speaking. He would let the boy have his moment to stare.

When Danny had opened his eyes, he was confused by the change in scenery. The room was a red velvet color, everything soft as clouds. Very much unlike his own room where it was the literal representation of gray. He shifted and look around, his eyes catching on a muscular back. He took every scar in, his brow furrowing at the raised and bumpy lashes. They almost looked like whip marks.

He noticed the one scar. The one on the back of Vlad's neck that was an angry red. All the others looked completely healed except for that one. Where had the man gotten it? Danny wanted to know what they were all from, but he knew it was best not to ask. It could happen again. He could have another breakdown and let Vlad... let Vlad... He wouldn't do it. He was already frustrated with himself for asking to sleep with Vlad. But Danny didn't want to go back in that room. He was scared of what he had seen.

Danny blushed badly as Vlad glanced back at him. He had seen. Of course he had, Vlad wasn't stupid. He could probably feel a stare from a hundred feet away. He turned his attention to the soft sheets, deciding to focus on that instead. It didn't hep that Vlad was hot. No, no not hot. An old man could not be hot. Especially not Vlad. Maybe he should be grateful such a man was focusing on him, but then he remembered. That old fruit loop wasn't well upstairs. He was obsessive.

So why did he still want his attention? Why did Danny want that obsession focused on him? He already knew he was crazy, but that? That pushed Danny into a whole new range of insanity. A small mirthless giggle bubbled from his throat and he had to force it down into the pillow. He was crazy. Danny was crazy and he wanted to be doted on by another type of crazy. It wasn't normal, he wasn't normal. His head began to buzz again and he groaned loudly, tugging on his hair. When would it end?

Frowning, Vlad turned to Daniel. The noise had caught his attention and he stepped forward, pulling up his pants. Was the boy okay? He had seemed so scared the night before. What if he was still caught on it? Or what if he was upset that he had come into Vlad's room. Wouldn't he think that something else had happened between the two? "Are you alright little badger? Being woken up at three is startling." He tried for a joking tone, shoving his shaking hands to his sides.

"Shut the hell up right now," Daniel's voice was pure hatred, "Stop. Just don't talk." He was gripping his head tightly, squeezing it. Vlad froze at the concentrated malice. Maybe he really had done something wrong. Was he still upset about the other day? He could make it better, he just needed to pull a few smooth words.

It was hard to step even closer to the now aggressive boy. "Daniel, I know you may be upset about waking up in here but I swear that all we did was sleep. You asked to be-." Vlad barely managed to avoid the punch. _What on Earth?!_ What had gotten into the boy? Daniel was shaking badly, and made another lunge towards Vlad. He was snarling, his steps unbalanced and clumsy. A small step to the side and the boy lurched forwards, nearly toppling over.

"S-Shut up! I fucking hate your voice! You're always so goddamn condescending...!" He was holding his head tight in one hand, swaying on the spot. Vlad stepped forward to calm the boy. Maybe hold him until he relaxed. He opened his mouth, ready to say soothing words. That didn't happen. He blinked, the wind knocked out of him. He was on the floor, the angry little badger pounding on his chest. He needed to stop, he couldn't breathe.

Soon the angry shouting turned into confused sobs. Danny beat at his chest weakly and slumped over, pressing his face into the crook of Vlad's neck. He didn't know why he had done it. He just wouldn't stop talking and oh my god his head just pounded with each word. He tried to stifle his tears, the noises he made just making his head hurt worse. Why had he attacked him? Was there a reason? Why was his head pounding so badly?

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I didn't... I don't..." He choked back a harsh sob. He was useless. All he did was cause trouble. He was awful. _I don't deserve to live._ He clung to Vlad, his fingers curling into the cashmere sweater that separated their bodied. Warm arms slid around him and held him close, lips gently touching his ear and whispering something. His voice was so soothing. Danny slowly grew quiet, calmed down by the soft words and the hand rubbing his back. He didn't deserve this.

Vlad let out a sigh of relief, glad that he was no longer being beat on. It certainly wasn't his favorite pastime. He slowly sat up, making sure to place Daniel between his legs. His fingers trembled badly as they knotted into the boy's curls. "Are you alright now little badger?" He gently grazed his ear with the side of his finger. Vlad looked down at Daniel expectantly. Where had the boys anger come from? He had been fine seconds before the outburst.

The boy nodded slowly and rubbed his wet eyes. Vlad wanted to press their lips together and find some way to make Daniel feel better. "Well we'll get you all dressed up and then head down for breakfast. How does that sound?" He made sure to keep his voice low and soft, worried that if he went over a certain pitch it would provoke another attack.

"That sounds good," his bottom lip quivered and tears threatened to flow,"I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid, I don't... I'm sorry. I'm awful..." Vlad sighed and rubbed his head. It was becoming easier to touch the boy. He let Daniel drone on and on. It was better for him to get it all out. "I don't deserve this... I don't deserve, I don't deserve your... everything you've given me. I don't deserve it. I'm not supposed to be alive. I don't deserve to be alive." Vlad's eyes narrowed dangerously. He would not have the boy saying that.

Vlad took the boy by the shoulders and stared him down. His eyes burned into Daniel's, "You will not say that. Not ever. You're alive right now. Isn't that proof enough that you're supposed to be?" He wasn't looking at him, he was staring off somewhere trying to hold back his tears. "Daniel, look at me. Look at me right now," he gripped his chin and forced his little badger to stare up at him, "Don't you dare. Don't you ever say that you don't deserve to live. Can't you see that I want you here? Can't you see how hard I fought to keep you alive?"

He sighed and gently rubbed away the tear that slid down the boy's cheek. "You deserve love and care. You deserve life. If I didn't think you deserved it, I wouldn't let you sleep in my bed. I wouldn't feed you and clothe you. Why would I care about someone who didn't deserve those things? Do you understand?" There was a soft hiccup and a slow nod. Vlad stared down at the boy and brushed his lips against Daniel's. He stood and reached out a hand. "Let's get you all dressed up."

Danny stared up at the hand and reached for it. He squeaked as he was tugged up, stumbling forward and using Vlad as balance. He looked up hesitantly and forced a smile. He said he deserved it. The man who only cared for himself said, he said that he cared for him. Tears nearly spilt again. He was a big cry baby, but Vlad said he deserved to live. He almost believed it.


	14. You're Way Too Close

Breakfast had become odd. Why was he sitting right next to him? They were way too close. He needed to move. Vlad glanced at Daniel as he picked at his food. This was the first time that the boy had ever sat beside him during a meal. The _very_ first time. Generally he preferred to sit on the opposite end of the table. As far away from Vlad as possible. His silver brows furrowed as he looked away from him. It wasn't that he didn't want him to, it was just, well it wasn't right.

He focused back on his food, chiding himself mentally for being so startled. So what if the boy wanted to sit beside him during a meal? Daniel must feel bad for attacking him. With a soft sigh, Vlad forced himself to eat properly. Just because their knees were hitting each other under the table didn't mean... _oh_ _pineapple cake_. It was as if the boy was making sure to have some part of their bodies touching. And he kept scooting closer throughout the meal.

Soon their thighs were flush together, leaving no room for movement on Vlad's part. He cleared his throat awkwardly. Maybe the boy didn't realize what he was doing. "Vlad." He blinked and sat up right, only just realizing he had been slouching into the touch. Daniel was looking right up at him with his big beautiful eyes. No no, no they were not beautiful. Stop thinking like that. Stop taking advantage of the poor thing. Oh. Right, he was supposed to respond. That's what his little badger was expecting.

"Yes, my dear boy?" Oh, why was he looking at him like that? This was so unfair. Did he even know how hard it was not to be touching him all the time? Not just his hands anymore, even. He wanted to touch... well to touch everything. And when he looked at him like that, Vlad just wanted to snatch him up and kiss him. All he wanted to do was act like _nothing_ had ever happened. That was better for the boy. He would even give up on having Daniel learn the piano.

Danny looked up at him through his lashes, wanting to be even closer to him. He was embarrassed really. It was embarrassing to want to be so close to him. It was just, he could actually feel Vlad. He could feel his warmth and his heartbeat and he knew. He knew that he was real and sitting right there beside him. He wanted to be touching him so much that he even said, "Can you show me how to play the piano again? I really want to learn how." The look he got in response was laughable. Who knew someone's jaw could drop that much?

After a long moment of silence, Danny got worried. Was the request too much? Vlad hadn't been as careful about his hands lately, maybe asking to play would cause him to get weird again. What if he yelled at him for asking? _Oh my God what have I done? I'm so stupid, Jesus fucking Christ I'm an idiot._ He still wasn't answering. Should he take it back? Should he play it off and say he was joking? No, no that would probably hurt his feelings. "You're gonna catch flies that way," he couldn't hold back the small chuckle.

Right, because teasing would make everything better. _Good fucking job Danny._ Vlad quickly shut his mouth and blushed. Actually blushed. What happened to not forgiving him? It was hard to remember when they were this close. Was he leaning in closer? What the hell Danny? Stop, dammit stop. Why was he doing this? It was just, he was so warm, so solid. He wouldn't just disappear into thin air. He would stay right here with Danny.

Vlad's eyes dropped to the hand on his thigh. His eyes widened and he cleared his throat, loudly this time. This was getting incredibly and awkwardly intense. Did the boy really have to suggest playing the piano? Right after he had decided on giving the idea up? Daniel was so close, getting closer and closer with every second of silence. This was truly unfair. What kind of hell had Vlad awoken in?

"If you would like to, then we can. It's your decision my boy. I don't mind teaching you in the least, although I'm not a very good teacher." Daniel seemed to like that answer, but he didn't move. Their eyes caught on each other, making it impossible for Vlad to look away. Why was he so close? The boy was so warm, it felt like he was burning up. Maybe he had a fever of some sort. That could explain his increasingly odd behavior. Why hadn't he caught it yet? They had shared a bed the night before...

Without realizing it, both had moved in close. Daniel's eyes were closed, why were they closed? No, if Vlad kissed him now it would just be wrong. He couldn't. He wasn't going to break this sudden trust that they had. Everything would go sour. He quickly pulled away, causing the boy to slip and fall a little. He quickly caught himself and his face burned a fiery crimson. Why was he so cute? Vlad coughed into his fist, trying to hide his own pink cheeks.

Danny quickly righted himself and turned away, willing his heart to slow down. _What the hell was that? What the fuck? We almost, why the hell did we almost... Oh my God Danny you were about to kiss a seriously fucking creepy old man. No, remember what we decided? We decided we were going to hate him. He can't touch us, remember? He fucking molested us. **Who's talking? Why are you talking to me?**_ **_Why are you in my brain? Get out, get out right now!_**

A flicker of pain formed behind his eye and he bit his lip. No, he really didn't want one of these headaches right now. He didn't want to deal with it. Danny literally couldn't deal with it, and all of his emotions were just swarming up inside him like an angry hive of bees. He was going to have a break down and Vlad already mentioned the therapist to him and he just couldn't. He couldn't. He slowed his breathing, trying to focus on Vlad straightening himself up. Maybe if he just pressed on his eye, it wouldn't hurt so bad.

He dug his thumb into his eye, sighing at the slight relief of pressure. He could do this, don't freak out. He just had to stay calm and he would be fine and Vlad wouldn't think he was crazy. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten so much. His stomach turned, and he inhaled sharply. He had to calm down. The world felt like it was melting around him and he was going to fall through the floor. He was going to fall through the floor and no one would catch him and he'd be lost in an infinite space. He'd be lost forever and, and-. Then a large hand landed on his shoulder, effectively pulling him from the void.

The boy was hyperventilating. Again. Vlad frowned as he rubbed slow circles into Daniel's tense muscles. He began to slow his breathing, relaxing into his touch. Maybe he didn't need a therapist, maybe he needed an actual doctor. One that could see what was going on up there. "Daniel, would you still like to play? Is that what's bothering you?" He shook his head weakly, then stiffened under his touch yet again. He quickly jerked away from Vlad and glared up at him.

"Don't touch me. You don't deserve to touch me." Daniel quickly stood up and made sure to keep away. What? What had just happened? Vlad thought... he didn't know what he thought. He sighed softly and stepped away, making sure to give the boy his space. "Yeah, sure I guess. Just make sure you don't get too close." He frowned and he stared at him, opening his mouth and then quickly closing it again. Don't fight him. Maybe he should take him to the doctor, sooner than later. These mood swings were getting a little frustrating.

Vlad made his way to the small washroom, expecting Daniel to follow. He had been less worried about cleaning his hands, putting majority of his attention onto the boy. But after a meal, he felt the need to wash. It was just right to take that precaution. It made him feel less dirty.

He waited by the door, his eyes following the boy. He was stumbling pretty badly. How long had he been doing that? His brow furrowed as he thought back to this morning. Daniel had trouble walking then too, although Vlad had attributed it to being tired and upset. He was struggling with putting his feet down properly, his eyes narrowed and focused on his toes.

With a quiet growl, Danny gave up on trying to walk straight. Fucking whatever. He was fine. So what if his balance was off? That didn't matter. It wasn't that bad. He finally made it to the door and pressed his hand against it. Motherfucker wasn't going to disappear this time. "Will you be fine in here if I go to the other one? I'll be back in a jiffy."Did he really just say jiffy? If Danny wasn't so angry, he would laugh. He shrugged and opened the door, shutting it quickly behind him.

He leaned up against the door and breathed in deeply. Breathed out. Footsteps leading away. It took him a second to reorient himself. He slowly pushed himself back up and walked to the sink, turning the water freezing cold. Maybe it would wake him up. Just, stupid fucking Vlad, getting too damn close to him. Danny groaned and pressed his head against the glass. His head hurt so bad. Why wouldn't it stop hurting?

That man from the night before. He must have put something in there. He put something in his brain and that's why he was dizzy. That's why he was so angry. It was all his damn fault. Danny groaned weakly and sighed, closing his eyes. If he was dead, none of this would be happening. Maybe that's what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to die. That's why the man visited him. That's why the beast was waiting outside for him. That's why the world wanted to melt away. Because he wasn't supposed to be alive.

That's it. Danny looked up and grinned at himself in the mirror. That's what he had to do. He had to die. Why hadn't he realized that before? It'd be easier for Vlad if he was dead. He wouldn't have to worry about feeding him or dealing with his nightmares. His life would be clean and smooth. And Danny didn't have any family or friends to deal with missing him. Because they were all dead. He was supposed to die with them. _But what if I don't want to die? Vlad said we deserved to live. **No, Vlad's a liar. A goddamn liar and you can't trust him.**_

Danny splashed cold water up onto his face, trying to gain control of his roiling thoughts and emotions. What was he thinking? He was confusing even himself. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, just wanting to sleep. He hated sleeping, he just had nightmares. Sleeping, however, was the only thing he could do. "Die..." His head shot up, eyes narrowing. Who the fuck was messing with him? His head whipped around, looking for the source of the quiet chattering in his ear. No one, it was just him.

Grumbling softly to himself, he scrubbed his hands under the ice cold water. Wake up, he needed to wake up. He was still in his room, he was just in a nightmare that wouldn't end. His parents and sister and friends were still alive. His mom and dad were in the lab and his sister was studying. Wake up wake up wake up wake up. He kept whispering it to himself, drying off his now red fingers. This was a dream. Vlad was a dream.

Vlad started to open the door, his fingers struggling to tighten on the knob. He paused when he heard whispering. With a frown, he placed his ear to the wood and tried to listen. Who was in there with Daniel? Was he alright? "Die die die die die die die die... Just do it..." Vlad choked back a confused noise, his eyes widening. Then there was a conflicted groan and the constant repeat of _wake up_. Whoever was in there was about to be fired. He knocked loudly, scowling.

He blinked when Daniel opened the door, his face white as a sheet. "Daniel, who was in there with you? Are you alright?" Vlad tried to peek in, but was quickly shoved back. _Butter biscuits_ , what was wrong with him? "Little badger, what on earth has gotten into you?" Silence. A glare. They had been getting along so well. Daniel had actually been wanting his attention. They had slept together. They had kissed without the boy getting angry.

"None of your business. Let's go. I want to get this over with. I fucking hate your piano," the boy stormed off and down the hall. Leaving Vlad behind in a state of awe. He followed silently, watching as Daniel staggered and used the wall as a crutch. The boy kept reaching up and tugging on his hair, whimpering quietly. He didn't have to play. He didn't even want his little badger to play it.

He reached out and gently grabbed him by the shoulder. "Daniel, you don't have to go there. I don't mind. We can do something else. Maybe you want to go out into town? Would you like that? You need new clothes, you can't just wear my clothes from when I was in college." He stiffened from the touch, then paused. Vlad bit back a shout when Daniel flung at him, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist. He looked down, his cobalt eyes showing confusion.

Why was he crying again? Danny clung to Vlad and he was filled with an overwhelming amount of pain. He wanted to play the piano, he wanted to make Vlad happy. Why was he so upset? Was he mad? No, Vlad hadn't been mad at him. He had been mad at Vlad. Why? "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry... sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry..." He couldn't see how disturbed Vlad was. He couldn't see the look of fear on his face.

A hand gently caressed the back of his head and held him there to Vlad's chest. Another hand rubbed his back. He was embarrassed. He didn't want to be a burden for this man. This is why he needed to die. All he did was cause trouble. "Don't be sorry little badger...," his voice was strained and filled with something. Danny couldn't hear. He shook his head violently and his whole body trembled. "There's no reason for you to be sorry. You've done nothing wrong my dear boy..." Shaky rough fingers gently rubbed his ear lobe.

"I'll get someone to drive us to the mall. We can have a little shopping spree." He was already leading him to the garage, his arm around his shoulders. When had they started moving? "Does that sound good?" Soft whispering filled Danny's head and he started to cling to his side. No, he was just giving the driver some directions. "You haven't been out in over three weeks. The fresh air will help." Someone was zipping up his jacket for him, and he was being helped into a seat.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. The beast and the man couldn't follow him all the way out into town. Vlad would protect him. He'd be kept safe. Vlad was right, he just needed some fresh air and some sunlight.


	15. Well Shit!

It was definitely nice to be outside for once. The crisp nature of the air felt like it was getting all of that dusty filth out of Danny's lungs, and it was wonderful. He could actually breathe and oh my god there were normal people around him living their lives. He couldn't stop staring at all of the different people in amazement. He hadn't been in a mall for a while. Like, a really long while. And he had forgotten all of the colors that existed. Life wasn't just different shades of gray.

Danny wanted to run around like he used to, to enter every store and laugh with his friends. To jump over stuff and make fun of certain stalls. Get giant ass sodas and waste a couple of coins on those little candy machines. Instead, he was having to slightly lean on Vlad for support. He had to tell Vlad where he wanted to go and he couldn't run around and goof off. Malls weren't fun when you couldn't be stupid.

Not that he was mad at Vlad. Nope, he wasn't mad in the least. Just, he was just frustrated. With himself. Vlad was smiling, talking about the fountain at the entrance. He had been trying to distract Danny the whole time with his talking. It was working, seeing Vlad get so excited about something so boring. "It's so beautiful during the summer Daniel, I can't wait to show it to you once it warms up. The water is so blue and you can make a wish..." Danny's cheeks warmed up quickly.

Vlad was expecting to take him back here? So far in the future? Why, what had he done to deserve that? He looked down and smiled softly, embarrassed that he was so blushing about it. "Do you want to see it?" Danny looked up to see the man hesitantly glancing down at him, "I mean, we don't have to go see it right now. After we get you some clothes. It's different seeing it covered in snow." He did want to see it. He really did.

"Yeah, sure! I don't mind. It sounds great!" They wouldn't go see it. Someone was whispering quietly in his ear, assuring him that he would never see that fountain in his life. Because he wouldn't live that long. He frowned and turned away from Vlad, glancing around for the little voice. Everyone was chattering to their friends or salesmen. No one had even passed by him. He turned back to see the worry so obvious on Vlad's face. No, _no don't look at me like that. I'm fine. Look, I'm normal. Please believe me._

All Vlad did was smirk, "I'm surprised you're still attracted to breasts at this point." Danny flushed bright red and looked at the store he had been "staring" at. Of course it had been a bra store. Was his life just a joke? Was he in a sitcom or some kind of depressing gay romance novel? He couldn't tell at this point.

He glared up at Vlad and growled quietly. "I never said I wasn't straight. You're the one that keeps trying to touch me." Danny hoped that would make Vlad drop it. It was technically true. Maybe some form of guilt would come over Vlad and he would realize what a creep he was. _You know you don't want that. You want him to keep touching you. **Okay, shut the hell** **up**_. _ **All you do is confuse me and give me headaches. Fuck off.**_

"If I do recall, you have been very willing to participate lately. We were so close to kissi-," Danny was walking away from him. There was no way he was going to talk about this out loud, and there he definitely wasn't going to talk about this in a place filled with hundreds of people. Nope, definitely not. Especially not when he was bickering with his own brain. Like some sort of crazy person.

Vlad frowned and followed him. He thought the two had been joking around, he didn't realize that he had actually upset the boy. He always messed everything up with Daniel. He was so bad at dealing with him, all he wanted to do was help. This had just been a trip to get the boy feeling a little bit better. Wait, he was staggering. Vlad quickly pulled him close as he started to fall over. "Daniel, Daniel are you alright?" People were looking.

He quickly sat him down at a bench, feeling his forehead for a fever. A woman asked if he was okay. "Yes he's fine. He has these dizzy spells that's all." The lie flew out easily as he pulled out his wallet. The woman stared at his badly shaking hands in confusion. She must think he was worried. "Can you please buy a water for us? I'd greatly appreciate it." He stared at the dollar, suppressing a shiver. He hated touching money, it made him sick to his stomach to think of everything that had touched it before him.

It took a large amount of willpower to hand her the dollar as she continued to nod over and over. Yes yes, he understood. He wasn't stupid. Vlad watched as she ran off and he looked down at the curled ball beside him. "Daniel, breathe in and out slowly. It's okay, I'm right here with you." He sighed softly as the boy took his ragged breaths. "I'm sorry, I should have realized you didn't want to talk about it. I thought we were... playing around." A strangled laugh came from the shaking boy.

"Not everything is about you... Have you ever thought about that? You always think every little bad thing I do and think is because of you. You aren't that special! I could... I could care less about what you say and do..." He didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything he could actually say. If that was how the boy felt, well it couldn't be changed could it? "I just got really dizzy all of a sudden. Don't worry about it." Was that a form of apology?

The woman came back and she quickly held out the bottle. "Here, I'm sorry it took so long! The vending machine wasn't working at first." Vlad reached out and their fingers brushed as he grabbed it. He froze in horror, the urge to throw up suddenly very imminent. His hand quickly shrunk back and he stared at his fingers. They had touched, some disgusting woman had just touched his _hand._ "I really hope your son feels better sir."

Danny could see it. He didn't see the touch, but he _knew_. He could see the stiffness in Vlad's shoulders. The paleness in his cheeks. He forced himself to raise his head up enough to meet her gaze. "Thank you so much for getting this for me," he pulled a tired but charming smile, "but he's not my dad. We need to talk for a moment, is that alright?" She smiled and looked between them, then some form of understanding flickered behind her eyes. Her smile quickly formed to a scowl and she left.

He watched her leave and he took the water bottle quickly from Vlad, setting it beside him. A sudden bout of dizziness rushed over him and Danny pressed his forehead to the shaking shoulder. "I thought you had gotten used to touching people," he laughed quietly, "you've been touching me so much that I just, I thought you had gotten better." His reached out for Vlad's hand.

Vlad let him take it. Danny frowned as he looked down at the heavily scarred skin. They looked like they were getting a little bit better at least. He was amazed that the older man even had enough courage to go out without gloves on. "That's just it Daniel, I can only touch you. You're different from that disgusting woman. I don't know why... but you're special." He was special? He was saying that even though Danny had told him that Vlad was nothing to him?

Lips were suddenly pressing against his whole hand. Vlad choked a little and looked around to see if anyone was watching. No, they were all focused on their own lives. He looked down at the boy, his heart racing in his chest. "W-What on Earth are you doing Daniel?" Really, what was he doing? His lips focused on kissing away at the area where the woman had touched him. His cheeks became flushed.

"What does it look like, old man? I'm getting rid of her obviously." Why was he blushing like some school girl? Vlad looked away and took in a deep breath, the feeling of the feather light touches easing him. The boy was right. The kisses felt like they were flushing her out of his system. This was silly, truly. "We can't both have a break down, now can we?" It was a joke yet he sounded so reasonable.

He shook his head and smiled a bit, "It scares me how right you are, little badger." He took his hand away and looked down at it, the feeling of filth gone. "Thank you Daniel, it really helps." He looked back to see that the boy was already trying to stand back up. Vlad quickly stood and helped him to his feet. Daniel gripped his arm just in case the dizziness took over again. "Do you think you can walk on your own?"

A small trickle of laughter poured from those pretty pink lips. The ones that had been pressed to his rotted hands only seconds before. "I'll be fine, fruit loop. I want to get those new clothes, and I don't think they'll let you come in to the changing booth with me." The boy was smiling widely, trying his hardest to act fine. He didn't want to be a worry. _Might as well play along then._

"I can assure you that we would effectively be banned from the mall if I was in there with you," Vlad grinned. Danny blushed and glared up at him, turning to the nearest store. He liked it, he liked the strange form of affection from the man. The fact that he had been able to flush away Vlad's fear was so _fulfilling_. He had done it, Danny had done it. No one else could. And why that thought filled him with an intense happiness, he didn't know.

Trying on the clothes was a breeze, no really. Nothing bad had happened in that time span. No bad thoughts, no voices in his head. No headaches or anything. Danny was feeling, well, pretty good. Vlad kept making him laugh and Vlad was smiling the whole time. He didn't get any worried looks and no one had to help him get the clothes on. He was still dizzy, but he found himself walking so close to Vlad for other reasons.

Vlad was struggling with carrying every bag, his brows furrowed as shoe boxes kept slipping. Danny tried not to laugh, covering his smile quickly. "You look so stupid right now!" The older man rolled his eyes and tried to reach for his phone. He was struggling bad, his hands unable to actually reach anything. "Here," Danny reached into his pocket for him and held it out. Wait, why was the man looking at him like he was crazy? And why was he blushing?

Had he done something wrong? This is what he would have done for any of his friends. "Daniel, it's rather rude to reach into people's pockets." Why was he looking away from him? Vlad took the phone from him with his slightly freer hand and wouldn't look him in the eye. "Thank you, but please don't do it again." Danny's eyes narrowed as he watched the man make a call. He was totally going to mess with him. No doubt about it.

It shouldn't have surprised Vlad so much, but the hand in his pocket had filled him with _something_. No, today was going to be different. He couldn't look at Daniel, worried that he would see his blushing face. He was going to be different. He was an adult, he was supposed to have control of his emotions. Supposed to... The phone picked up and he quickly ordered his driver to come and pick up the bags. He glanced at Daniel, startled by the determined look on his face.

What was he planning? Vlad turned his head away and hung up, turning off his phone with a sigh. He turned back to the boy and nearly jumped out of his skin. When had he gotten so close to him? Daniel took the phone right out of his hand and grinned. "Give that back right now, Daniel." He had things on his phone that the boy shouldn't see. "Daniel." He had no intentions of giving it back

"Sorry Vladdy, you're gonna have to catch me if you want it so badly." The boy was grinning wildly, shoving it into his front pocket. "I'm pretty fucking easy to catch at this point. So you shouldn't have a problem!" Wait, where was he going? "You gotta find me, otherwise you aren't getting this back!" _Butter biscuits_! He was already moving. How did he move that fast when he was only stumbling earlier?!

He stuttered and tried to follow. "Daniel, what am I supposed to do with these bags?!" He sighed and watched as he disappeared from sight, alright. He would find him after getting all this stuff taken care of. Vlad went the other direction, praying silently that the boy wouldn't go through any of his stuff. His thoughts turned to other things as he walked. When was the last time he had been called Vladdy? It had been years.

The last time he had been called that was by another black haired man. A much larger and rambling man. He frowned as he thought of Jack, wondering how him and Maddie were doing. Vlad hadn't talked to them in years. They had kids, he knew that for sure. He had gotten the card about their daughter's birth, and another for their son. Jasmine and, what was the boy's name again? He couldn't remember.

He needed to get in contact with them again, maybe meet up and show them Daniel. It'd be weird. It would be weird to introduce the boy he currently had feelings for to the man he had once... It had changed when Jack and Maddie began dating. Vlad had to sweep his feelings for Jack underneath the rug and leave them there. The thought of seeing them was nerve-wracking. But Daniel had said he wanted to meet the man who helped Vlad escape from his hell, and he did miss them. Maybe he would arrange something.

Danny entered the arcade, the bright lights making it hard for him to see. He tried to find a place to sit as he covered his eyes. No, he was going to get a headache in here. He should leave. But Vlad would find him anywhere else. The man probably wouldn't want to enter a place with so many kids. He grinned and found a place in the corner to sit. Perfect, he couldn't see any of the flashing lights from here.

Stretching out, he kicked his legs up on a small table. "Let's see what you got, old man." He turned the phone on, expecting a password. Nope. "Wow, what a trusting guy. Who doesn't put a lock on their phone?" _Ones that trust you._ He frowned at the thought and shrugged it off, scrolling through the surprisingly boring phone. All of his messages were to his cook or his landscaper or driver. Boring. All of his emails were about his company. Also boring. Notes? Nope, just reminders about, guess what, work.

Alright, he had to have something in his pictures. Everyone had something in their pictures. _Woah,_ there were a lot of pictures. Most seemed like they were by accident. Blurry pictures and the occasional thumb in the way. He was pretty bad at this, and it made Danny smile. Even Vlad messed up. There were even pictures of today, with Danny smiling widely into the camera or transfixed by something silly.

He frowned and clicked on an album with a weird picture. There was a picture of Danny sleeping. And another of him eating. When had he taken these? His frown turned to a look of horror as he scrolled through over fifty pictures of solely his hands. Just his hands. Doing random things. Gripping a bed sheet, picking up a cup, ruffling through his hair. Was that it? Was that all Vlad cared about? His damn hands?

Danny suddenly felt sick, shoving the phone into his pocket. Vlad had never actually cared about Danny. He still didn't. That's why Danny could touch him. Because he was in love with his hands, not him. Why had he ever thought that the man would feel that way about it? He quickly stood up, dizziness and the need to throw up washing over him. He stumbled to the bathroom beside him, locking the door as he staggered to the toilet.

Once Vlad finished taking care of the bags, he began to search for Daniel. He probably shouldn't be this worried. The boy had to be fine. He had been doing well the past couple of hours. He could care less about his phone, the thought of the boy going missing tore his heart apart. When had he started caring so much? When had Daniel taken such a large place in his heart? It had almost been a month since he first started living with him. His hands had been the original focus, but now... he could care less.

His search came up fruitless, having checked every store and every restroom in the mall. He doubted that Daniel was up and moving. He could barely get anywhere by himself. Vlad stopped and stared at the arcade. His brow furrowed in frustration. Of course he would hide in there. It made perfect sense. Suddenly he smiled, surely the boy had conned someone into giving him tickets. He was clever like that.

He walked inside, avoiding the running children and teenagers. The flashing lights caught him off guard, worry suddenly growing. What if he had gotten another headache? What if he was in the mall jail? He had to be okay, he just had to be. _His_ little badger had to be safe. If he wasn't, he would tear this mall apart with his bare hands. Even if it hurt. Vlad's eyes caught on the glowing green eye. There.

Vlad stepped forward quickly, relief washing over him. "Daniel, I'm so glad I found you! I had begun to think that you we-" Why was he so pale? His relief quickly bit back at him, turning into a cobra of fear. Daniel was staring off into the distance, his eyes glazed over. "Daniel?" He reached out to take the boy's hand. Their fingers touched and the boy flinched back, pain hidden there. No. This was different from before.

The boy had been throwing up. He could see that. "Please... please don't touch me Vlad..." There wasn't any anger. Just sadness and a loneliness. "I don't want you to touch me anymore..." His phone was thrown into his lap. What had he seen on it? He didn't have anything necessarily bad on there. Oh. The album had been opened. He had seen all the pictures, the ones that he kept forgetting to delete.

"Daniel, it isn't what it looks like. I swear. I don't feel that way about you anymore. I've realized that you're so much more than that. I... I really enjoy being with you." He wasn't lying, Danny could hear the honesty and pain in his voice. He wanted to believe it, he really did. It just, it was so painful. Thinking about it hurt him.

He looked up at Vlad and felt like he was about to cry. "You don't have to lie. I understand. I just want to go see that fountain with you." He stood and turned away from Vlad, pain shooting through his head. He gripped it tightly and gasped. This one felt like his brain was stuck into a tub of acid. Oh it hurt, it hurt, it hurt so bad. Stars shot up behind his eyelids with each step. His vision was going black, his legs turning to jelly beneath him. He fell, like a rock from the sky. Someone was yelling. Arms wrapped around him and cradled him close.

Danny looked up to see a blurred face. Calling out to him and begging him to stay awake. Rough hands held his cheeks and then there was nothing.


	16. Well the Day it Happened Started Fine!

The bed was burning hot and just plain uncomfortable. Well, it wasn't like he had been able to sleep anyways. With a groan, Danny threw his arm over his head and felt around for his phone. Nothing. A familiar scowl turned his lips and he pat where it should have been. No, of course it wasn't there. It hadn't been for the past few days. It seemed to like moving around on its own. Like a ghost was messing with him.

Danny had been finding his phone in the craziest places. Every morning. Without fail. With some grumbled words of encouragement and a little push, he was up and moving. Might as well go look for it. The search was at least fun. Pulling on his worn and dirty Nasa shirt, his eyes flit across the room. It didn't seem to be on his floor or anything. It never was. Too simple. Way too simple.

Where would it be this time? Hanging from his light? Dangling precariously over the toilet seat? It still amazed him how his phone could just -poof- show up anywhere. The fridge or the closet. In his parent's lab or the attic. Nowhere was safe. He would have to start tying it to his hand with a string or some shit. He checked the bathroom and every pile of clothes in his messy closet. Nope, nothing there or there. Downstairs? The kitchen was a no, so was the main bathroom.

His ears twitched as a soft ringing hit his ears. Danny grinned and turned to the living room, triumphant in his discovery. Of course, the living room! Why hadn't he checked there in the first place? He must've left it while he was watching scary movies with Sam and Tucker. Even though he clearly remembered on texting them in his bed... before he fell asleep. Nah, he definitely just left it.

Rummaging through the cushions, his hand finally landed on the buzzing device. Finally found the fucker. Danny glanced down at the name on the small screen. What rhymes with fucker? He pressed the answer and listened to his friend shout through the speaker. "Danny, you're never gonna guess what came out today!" Tucker continued to babble into his ear as he walked into the kitchen.

He could already see how his day was going to go on. They'd grab a bite to eat at the Nasty Burger, see the movie, and head back to his house for games. A normal Saturday night out. His grouchy attitude slipped away and he smiled as he made the plans. Sam needed to get caught up on the whole deal. It wasn't the same without her. Danny lifted his shoulder so he could keep the phone in place. If they were going to go out later, he needed some energy right?

The fruit loops were slow as they poured out of the box. Danny shook it until the whole bowl was filled to the brim. There! A perfect amount! "Alright Tuck, I'll see you later alright? Catch Sam up for me." With a press, his world was silent again. It was lonely. Jazz was out doing research for a project and his parents were, well, in the lab probably. They really wanted to get this project done. Some kind of portal to the ghost zone.

Something like that. It would be a hell of a lot cooler if they had made a portal to Mars or something. He would be all over that. Like flies on honey. He could be the first to ever step foot on the planet, and he'd have that joy all to himself. He poured his milk and sat at the table, listening to the small explosions under his feet. It had stopped scaring him, it was so constant. Smoke came up the stairs and his dad coughed as he entered the room.

"Danny!" His dad greeted him with a beaming grin, soot covering his whole face. "We're almost done with the portal! Just a few more tweaks and tonight it'll be ready!" Jack was literally bubbling with excitement. His mom came in and smiled, wiping the black from her cheeks. She was radiating with pride. _Woah, they must have really hit a breakthrough._ "Vladdy would have loved this! We should call him so he can come see it!"

He frowned as he looked at his dad talking away. Why were his parents talking so excitedly about this guy? Just who was he? "Hey uh... who's Vlad?" Jack stopped and stared him down, confusion playing at his features. Had they talked about him before? His dad got even more excited.

"Just the greatest man on Earth!" Jack grinned down at Danny and started moving around the room, starting up the toaster. "The V-Man was my best friend in college! He could play a mighty fine drum solo!" Bread popped out as he rambled on and on. It was actually hard to listen to his dad when he spoke a million words a minute. Without meaning to, he had blocked him out and focused on his mom.

She played with the belt on her suit and frowned down at the floor. "We really should call him up soon, Jack! We haven't talked to him since Danny was born!" Woah, that long? For real? Maddie looked at Danny and smiled softly, something hidden there. "He'd love to meet you two and see your father again, I'm sure." Why'd she say it like that? Like this mystery man didn't like her all that much? "Seventeen years is a long time, maybe he feels differently now."

Jack pulled her close and hugged her tight, knocking her out of the small mood. She grinned and hugged back, leaving Danny to look away in embarrassment. It always weirded him out to see his parents so lovey dovey. He slid his bowl into the sink and sniffed himself, wincing. Okay, yeah he could use a shower. It definitely wouldn't hurt. "Hey mom, dad. Can I go to the movies with Sam and Tucker? That new film is out an-" They were already saying yes. Wow, that was easy.

With a skip in his step he made his way to the bathroom. Today was going to be a good day. Nothing could change that. Absolutely nothing.

Until they bumped into Dash and Kwan at the movie theater. Shit. They just had to be going to the same movie. Of course, what else would happen? Danny's mood dropped just like that as the trio tried to sidestep the jocks. "Hey twink," Dash grinned and pushed him. Danny's brow furrowed and he stumbled back a bit. He didn't want to do this right now. Today was supposed to be a good day.

Sam growled and stepped in front of him, already on alert. It was hard not to be in love with her. She was this figure for Danny. A powerful and strong person who would die to protect her friends. He wanted to protect her, if he had powers. If he was a superhero he could keep her and Tucker safe. She was about to snap at the jock before a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Look Dash, I'd love to be pushed around and all but there's a movie we want to see." Danny looked at her and smiled a bit. He needed to be more brave. He was already walking past, ignoring their confused looks. No, today was going to be good. Nothing would stop that. Absolutely nothing. Dash could shove it. As they all sat down, Tucker grinned at him.

He pat Danny's shoulder roughly, "Dude, you shoulda seen their faces! They were so confused that you just, like, you just walked away!" He smiled and leaned back, proud of himself for once. What he did was pretty cool. _I actually stood up for myself, kind of. I should do it more often._ He turned to look at Sam, waiting for her approval. She was proud of him too right? Usually he let her do the talking but, but she had to be happy.

Well, she didn't really look happy. In fact, she looked worried more than anything. Why? Didn't he just do something awesome? He was tired of being called a twink and fag. He wasn't gay. If anyone was, it was Dash himself. Or Kwan. Anyone but him. "Sam, wasn't that super awesome? Danny actually said something!" Tucker grinned over at her, his glasses glaring in the light.

Her smile was forced, he could feel it. "It was pretty great. Although I think you may have just made him more pissy." She looked at the two tall teens sitting several rows ahead of them. They kept glancing back and talking. Maybe she was right. It probably wasn't the smartest idea to just walk away like that. It might earn him a punch or two later at school.

Danny would have answered, he would have if those previews didn't start. He would have told her that he wanted to keep her safe too, that it shouldn't just be her job. But he turned his attention to that wide screen, smile playing at his lips, and relaxed. There was always a better time to tell her. Tonight should be all about the three of them. This movie and then some video games until three in the morning. A normal weekend.

That's what it should have been. That's what it was supposed to be. But it wasn't. Oh god, how bad it went. He wouldn't know until later. And he wouldn't remember until _much_ later.

The three sat around the tv, controllers in every hand. The game of Super Smash had gone on for way longer than any of them had originally intended. It was getting annoying that Tucker just _wouldn't_ die. Danny grinned as he finally pushed him off the edge, waiting for him to fall to his doom and finally end the damn round. "Shit!" He huffed angrily as his friend pulled some move and switched them. K.O. Groaning, he leaned back and rubbed his eyes. Fuckin' whatever.

"Haha, yeah! Take that Danny!" He was grinning and Danny couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. You won," the boy rose to his feet and stretched, his shirt exposing a little bit of his boxers. He yawned as he turned away from the two, missing the blush on Sam's pale cheeks. "I'm gonna go take a piss and grab a soda. You guys want anything?" Sam shook her head and took the controller up, ready to start another match with Tucker.

"Wouldya get me a coke man?"

Danny left and closed the door behind him, making his way to the bathroom. Quick pee, grab a soda, then head back. Easy as pie. Suddenly he was on the floor, Jazz yelling at him to watch where he was going. He groaned and got up, rubbing the back of his head. "Jeez Jazz, chill out. I'm pretty sure you were the one that walked into me." He glared at her as he tried to step around her.

She always got in his way, teasing him all the time. "You're my kid brother, and that means I'm right and you're wrong." Well, okay, with that logic then everything he did was wrong. A bag of trash sat by her feet and she grinned, picking it up. "I'll forgive you if you throw this away for me." Jazz held it out to him, her orange hair curling into her eyes. She just kept giving him the puppy dog eyes.

Whatever. He grabbed the bag and grumbled, unable to actually say no to her. "You owe me for this one, Jazz." Danny flinched from the smell and walked past her. Alright, throw the trash out, then pee. Tucker could wait for a second. By the time he had made it to the trashcan outside, his frustrated muttering had gotten even louder. Well the fresh air didn't exactly feel awful. Danny's eyes roamed up to the stars far above his head, a smile forming. He'd make it up there one day, no one could stop him.

 _ **BOOM.**_ His world seemed to shudder, the ground beneath him trembling as his home caught in flames. What? He couldn't move at first, his whole body frozen to the spot. Was that, was that actually happening? Was he dreaming? No, the scream from inside told him something was very real about all this. His feet had begun to move without him realizing, forcing him back into the house at full speed. When had this happened, it had been fine only minutes before!?

Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he forced open the door from the kitchen. Jazz, where was Jazz? She had been closest. Danny heard sobbing, splintering, wood falling from nowhere and breaking around him. The crackle filled his ears as he rushed to the stairs. She was up there, he could see her. He bounded up, taking the stairs two at a time. "Jazz! Where are you?!" He had lost sight of her, smoke filling the house and heat enveloping him.

His eyes caught on the mound, heaving under rubble. Flames enveloped her, the fire seeming to think her hair was its own kin. Jazz. "Jazz, Jazz are you alright?!" He rushed over to her, falling to his hands and knees as he pulled at the broken ceiling crumbled on top of her.

"Danny... you didn't leave... why? You could have gotten help..." Now wasn't the time to be judging his choices. She was crying, tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm so glad you came back," her voice was pained, blood trickling from her pink lips. How badly had she been crushed?

His heart pounded frantically in his chest, trying his hardest not to inhale so much smoke. "Don't worry, I'll get you out!" After the longest time, he managed to tug her out from under the rubble, nearly gagging at the sight of bone poking through skin. Oh god, what was that. Jazz groaned quietly in pain, her eyes glazed over from the feeling of it. She sobbed softly. "Jazz, Jazz I got you. Stop crying Jazz, you're safe." He managed to pull her up, wrapping his arm around her unbroken side.

Carrying her down those stairs made him want to sob just as hard as his sister. Finally they had reached the bottom, practically dragging her down the last few step. "We just gotta get you outside, alright? Then I can get Sam and Tucker..." Danny was trying his hardest not to freak out, pulling her in the direction of the front door. "You're gonna be alright Jazz. Don't worry."

"Mom, Dad. They're still down in the basement. Danny, Danny you have to get them!" His heart flipped in his chest. She was right. Oh God, how was he going to get them? He set her down by the door, his blood pounding in his ears louder than the roaring flames surrounding them.

He yelled at her, his face illuminated by the heat. "Jazz, I need you to get out of here alright?" He turned his back to her, tripping over broken tiles. He was going to die, they were all going to die. "I know how bad it hurts, but you have to move!" Danny broke into a run, trying to find the stairs to the lab. He had to find them. He had to get his parents out or he would never forgive himself.

Where were they? Where the hell were the stairs?! Flames spit at him, trying to pull at his clothes. No, no he had to get them out. "MOM! DAD!" There, there it was. The door was blocked by burning beams. Shit, shit no no. Tears streaked down his face and sizzled away. Everything was burning, it hurt. It hurt so bad trying to push those wood beams inhaled sharply, coughing and gasping harshly as soot inflamed his lungs. He couldn't breathe, shit he couldn't breathe.

The portal, this had all been because of that damn portal his parents were working on. They were... no... they were gone. They were trapped down there and he couldn't save them. Screaming. His head snapped to the noise, remembering Sam and Tucker. He had a choice. His eyes shot between the blocked door and the room his friends were in. He had to save them. They were closer. His feet flew out from under him, swerving around fallen wreckage.

He needed to be fast, as fast as the wind. There, there was their door. The one that was painted a soft blue. His hand grabbed uselessly at the searing hot metal, a cry of pain torn from his throat. His hand immediately swelled as he reached for it again, tugging relentlessly at the scalding iron. Danny took a step back, pain pilling his eyes. The door was stuck, it's paint had melted from the heat. He wasn't going to lose them too.

Determination filled his mind as he flung his body into the door, trying to break it down. "Goddamn it!" He slammed into it, again and again, desperate to wedge it open. "I won't let you guys die!" He tried to reassure them, frightened by the sobbing behind the door. They were screaming for help, their voices ragged with fear. Sam was sobbing, the tough girl he loved, was sobbing as if she had lost her child. It broke his heart as he kept trying. Nothing. The door wouldn't give. "I'm... I'm so sorry..."

An electric crackle filled the air, sending goosebumps down Danny's spine and freezing him entirely. What was that? His eyes widened as he stepped back, a rumble building under his feet. The floor shook and he fell, trying to stand back up. He had to help, he had to get them out. "Danny!" No, no no no no! Jazz, why was Jazz still here? His body turned, horrified. He thought she had gotten out?!

"Jazz! Get out!" His legs moved, trying to bring them closer together. She came into sight, part of her beautiful hair on fire. "Please!" Flames licked at his skin, burning him along with the rest of the house. He prayed. He prayed right then and there. _God, please. Please save us. Don't let us die..._ His prayers wouldn't be answered. Danny reached his hand out to her, fear gripping his heart with its darkened claws. Another large blast rocked his very core, his body flung back.

He didn't want to die. He wanted to live. Energy was coursing through him, his blood crackling and reacting. The air was thick with smoke and flame, pulsing. It radiated onto him as his head smacked hard against the floor. _I'm sorry._ _I wanted to be the hero for once. Please forgive me._ The last thing he saw was a sky full of stars illuminated by a gorgeous blue and green light.

Danny awoke with a start, a soft and hurried beep filling his head. He remembered. He finally remembered that day. That night. He remembered every part of it and his blood sang out loud with the truth it regained. His surroundings sunk in, a pure white engulfing him. _What? Where am I?_ A hospital? Why was he in a hospital? The window beside him was dark, the moon glaring at him from its place in the sky.

Why was he shaking so bad? A soft grumble came from his lap, making him realize just how heavy it was. His eyes fell on the silver hair splayed over his blanket, a gaunt face smooshed into the fabric. "Vlad...?" Striking blue eyes snapped open, wide as golf balls. The man shot up, his hair wild and curled around him. He grabbed Danny's hands, trying to feel if he was really there.

"You're awake. Cheese curds, you're _awake_." Tears filled his eyes and he leaned forwards, pressing his lips against Danny's. He kissed back, overwhelmed by the relief in Vlad's voice. He was right, he was awake. He was finally awake.


End file.
